  A review is given of the experimental status of the interlayer coupling
energy in the cuprates. A second c-axis plasmon is identified in the double
layer compound Y123 for various dopings. The anomalous transport properties
along the c-direction and in the planar directions are compared to model
calculations based on strongly anisotropic scattering. An excellent description
of the optical data at optimal doping is obtained if an anomalously large
anisotropy of the scattering rate between cold spots and hot spots is assumed.
This raises questions as to the physical meaning of these parameters.
