  The ab-plane reflectance of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+d) thin films was measured in the
30-25000 cm^(-1) range for one underdoped (Tc = 70 K), and one overdoped sample
(Tc = 63 K) as a function of temperature (10-300 K). We find qualitatively
similar behaviors in the temperature dependence of the normal-state infrared
response of both samples. Above Tc, the effective spectral weight, obtained
from the integrated conductivity, does not decrease when T decreases, so that
no opening of an optical pseudogap is seen. We suggest that these are
consequences of the pseudogap opening first in the k=(0, pi) direction,
according to ARPES, and of the in-plane infrared conductivity being mostly
sensitive to the k=(pi, pi) direction.
