[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

                                 ______


                           HON. MARTIN FROST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 1996

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to read on the front page of 
the Washington Post that the administration is finally considering 
imposing sanctions on China for the piracy of United States 
intellectual property rights.
  The flagrant and illegal piracy of United States intellectual 
property rights continues to flourish in many parts of the globe, most 
notably in China. USRT has estimated that the piracy of U.S. patents 
and copyrights and the counterfeiting of our trademarks costs the U.S. 
economy billions of dollars annually.
  Piracy undermines our ability to compete in the global marketplace by 
denying U.S. companies access to new markets. Such unfair trading 
practices ultimately result in the loss of jobs here at home.
  The piracy of intellectual property rights is an issue which I have 
followed for several years. I, along with many of my Texas colleagues, 
have written the United States Trade Representative on several 
occasions requesting that strong action be taken against China for the 
piracy of United States intellectual property rights.
  in fact, this week, I agreed to cosponsor a measure soon to be 
introduced by Congresswoman Pelosi to impose sanctions against China 
for their intellectual property rights violations.
  I firmly believe that the United States Government must take forceful 
action to convince China to crack down on this piracy. The United 
States simply cannot tolerate the theft of its industries' valuable 
intellectual property. I urge the Clinton administration to follow 
through on their warnings and impose stiff sanctions on China.

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