Question:  Sammy O. asks, can design and development be excluded from the scope of our API 7K product specification license and our API Q1 QMS manual? ATCS Reply: Good question, however, according to the API’s Advisory 6, dated June 10, 2011, API 7K is not listed as one of the product specifications where an exclusion can be taken from the product specification’s design and development requirements.  A copy of this advisory can be downloaded at