[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1047-H1048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        H.R. 400, THE 21ST CENTURY PATENT SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT ACT

  (Mr. COBLE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, opponents of H.R. 400, the 21st Century 
Patent System Improvement Act, have embraced a ``Chicken Little'' 
strategy distinguished by two attributes: First they announce H.R. 400 
sells out the country and, second, they repeat it again and again. This 
dumbing-down approach only produces heat, not light.
  If these same opponents took time to read H.R. 400 they would 
understand why it helps our national economy. The 18-month publication 
requirement in the bill would allow an American inventor to review a 
given application and decide if he should continue to develop his own 
idea or to pursue other

[[Page H1048]]

alternatives. H.R. 400 creates no opportunity to steal the contents of 
a published application.
  Our opponents believe that the patent system should serve only the 
selfish interests of those applicants wishing to abuse the process by 
suing American inventors who develop technology and create jobs. In 
contrast, the Constitution charges the Congress with the responsibility 
of creating a system that balances the legitimate needs.

                          ____________________