[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PATENT TERM RESTORATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, just to add a little bit or shed a 
little bit of light on this, we have a wide diversity of opinion here 
in the House of Representatives just like in the United States of 
America. We have a wide diversity of opinion. That is one of the great 
strengths of the United States of America.
  I see my friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Serrano], over 
there. We have a lot of disagreements, but we know that we can respect 
each other's opinion even though we have some mighty differences of 
opinions. I happen to agree, interestingly enough, I happen to agree 
that some of the things that happened in Waco, TX, and some of the 
actions taken by the FBI have been very questionable and indeed would 
make honest people worry some about what is going on in the FBI. 
Expressing that should be no reason, and for other people to sort of 
think that that is sort of an oddball opinion. That is not an oddball 
opinion at all.
  I think we can respect each other, for I know that some people have 
come to me from the minority communities over the years and have 
expressed to me that law enforcement is attacking them in a different 
way than they would be attacking people in the majority Caucasian 
community. I have to admit some of the times I have dismissed some of 
those criticisms. But I will have to admit also that there are some 
things that have happened in recent years that have sort of given me a 
different point of view to take some of those charges a little more 
credibly and to listen to them and to think maybe there is something to 
these criticisms.
  So let us hope that in things as volatile as this, where life and 
death matters are being discussed, we do maintain a civility.
  One major issue that is going to be happening here in Congress and we 
are involved in right now deals with the patent issue. I am fighting a 
major fight along with 50 other Members of the House who have 
cosponsored my bill to maintain a guaranteed patent term for the 
American people and to ensure that our patent rights are not diminished 
in order to create some global trading system. Some people want to 
create a global trading system at the expense of the rights of the 
American people because they think everybody is going to be better off 
because of it. That is their point of view.
  The American people better understand that we have got these 
globalists who are trying to eliminate the right, certain patent rights 
that the American people have enjoyed since the founding of our 
country. H.R. 400 is a bill that is coming through Congress right now, 
I call the Steal American Technologies Act, which greatly diminishes 
the patent rights of the American people and thus in the long run will 
make America technologically inferior, undercut our prosperity, and our 
national security.
  Our technological superiority is what has made us a prosperous and 
secure country. I am asking my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring 
H.R. 811, which is my bill to restore the patent rights of the American 
people, and to oppose H.R. 400, the Steal American Technologies Act, 
which, among other things, get this, H.R. 400 does this: mandates that 
every patent application, whether it has been issued or not, will be 
published for the entire world to see after 18 months.
  That means every copycat, every one of America's competitors and 
adversaries will have every one of our secrets, all the details. They 
will probably be into production of our new technology ideas even 
before the patent is issued to our own inventors. This is lunacy.
  Yes, some people have a right to the other opinion because maybe it 
is a good thing in order to create a global market, but they are trying 
to create a global market over the well-being and prosperity of the 
American people and diminishing the rights of the American people. I 
ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 811, the Patent Term 
Restoration Act, and opposing the Steal American Technologies Act, H.R. 
400.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe when the American people understand this move 
by the multinational corporations to diminish our patent rights in 
order to create a global marketplace, the people will rise up. They 
will call their Congressman and they will call their Senator to ensure 
that, if you want a global market, do not do it by diminishing the 
guaranteed rights we have had since the founding of our Nation and that 
has ensured us to be the technological leader of the world.
  This is a big fight. It is the little guy versus the big guy. But 
also when we have a debate like this, it is important for us to sit 
down here and slug it out on the issues. In this particular case, 
should we have a guaranteed patent term, H.R. 400, the Steal American 
Technologies Act, says no. Should we have the right of confidentiality 
so when a man submits a patent, whether it is confidential, H.R. 400 
says no, they are going to publish it for the whole world to see.
  Should we have a strong working patent office as part of our 
Government, which H.R. 400 would corporatize.
  Defeat the Steal American Technologies Act, H.R. 400. Support H.R. 
811, the Patent Term Restoration Act.

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