[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H2591-H2593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SUPPORTING GOALS OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 210) supporting the goals of World 
Intellectual Property Day, and recognizing the importance of 
intellectual property in the United States and worldwide.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 210

       Whereas intellectual property is the backbone of our 
     Nation's economic competitiveness and the only sector where 
     the United States has a trade surplus with every nation in 
     the world;
       Whereas all nations can use the intellectual property 
     system to achieve economic growth and cultural development;
       Whereas intellectual property plays an important role in an 
     increasingly broad range of areas, ranging from the Internet 
     to health care to nearly all aspects of science and 
     technology and literature and the arts, and understanding the 
     role of intellectual property in these areas--many of them 
     still emerging--often requires significant new research and 
     study;
       Whereas World Intellectual Property Day provides an 
     opportunity to reflect on how intellectual property touches 
     all aspects of our lives: how copyright helps bring music to 
     our ears and art, films, and literature before our eyes, how 
     industrial design helps shape our world, how trademarks 
     provide reliable signs of quality, and how patenting helps 
     promote ingenious inventions that make life easier, faster, 
     safer--and sometimes completely changes our way of living;
       Whereas World Intellectual Property Day is an opportunity 
     to encourage young people everywhere to recognize the 
     creator, the problem-solver, and the artist within 
     themselves, because the classrooms of today will produce the 
     entrepreneurs, the scientists, the designers, and the artists 
     of tomorrow;
       Whereas the over-arching objectives for World Intellectual 
     Property Day 2005 are to reach out to young people about the 
     importance of intellectual property, to increase 
     understanding of how protecting intellectual property rights 
     helps foster creativity and innovation, and to raise 
     awareness of the importance in daily life of patents, 
     copyrights, trademarks, and designs;
       Whereas April 26, 1970, was the date on which the 
     Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property 
     Organization entered into force;
       Whereas in 2000, member states of the World Intellectual 
     Property Organization established World Intellectual Property 
     Day to celebrate the contribution made by innovators and 
     artists to the development and growth of societies across the 
     globe and to highlight the importance and practical use of 
     intellectual property in our daily lives; and
       Whereas April 26, 2005, has been designated as World 
     Intellectual Property Day as a time to celebrate the 
     importance of intellectual property to the United States and 
     world economy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals of World Intellectual Property Day 
     to promote, inform, and teach the importance of intellectual 
     property as a tool for economic, social, and cultural 
     development;
       (2) congratulates the World Intellectual Property 
     Organization for building awareness of the value of 
     intellectual property and developing the necessary 
     infrastructure to help citizens take full advantage of their 
     own creativity;
       (3) applauds the ongoing contributions of human creativity 
     and intellectual property to growth and innovation and for 
     the key role they play in promoting and ensuring a brighter 
     and stronger future for the Nation; and
       (4) recognizes that intellectual property continues to face 
     serious, new challenges, which affect prospects for future 
     growth of the United States economy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Wexler) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 210, 
currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the purpose of House Resolution 210 is to congratulate 
the World Intellectual Property Organization, commonly referred to as 
WIPO, for its work and to support the goals of World Intellectual 
Property Day, which include teaching the importance of intellectual 
property as a tool for

[[Page H2592]]

economic, social, and cultural development.
  WIPO is considered the most important international organization for 
the promotion of intellectual property.
  Among its other responsibilities, WIPO administers those treaties 
known as the Berne and the Paris conventions to protect intellectual 
property globally. The United States is a WIPO member.
  Five years ago, WIPO member states celebrated the founding of the 
organization by establishing World Intellectual Property Day. April 26, 
1970, is the date on which the convention that created WIPO took 
effect.
  House Resolution 210 commemorates the achievements of WIPO and its 
designation of April 26, 2005, as World Intellectual Property Day for 
the current year.
  I support the resolution and urge other Members to do so as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 210. 
First, I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman 
Sensenbrenner) for his graciousness and the degree of support that he 
has lent to this bill.
  I want to extend a very special thank you to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Smith), the chairman of the subcommittee, without whom we would 
not have had the energy and the direction to be here today.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) for their leadership, as 
well as the three other Chairs of the Intellectual Property Caucus, the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono), the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Feeney), and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), who have 
joined with me in sponsoring House Resolution 210.
  This important resolution commemorates World Intellectual Property 
Day, which is April 26, 2005. On April 26, 1970, the United Nations 
established the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, which 
is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of 
organizations. WIPO focuses solely on promoting the use and protection 
of patents, trademarks, and copyrights internationally. As part of 
their important advocacy and public awareness campaign, WIPO created 
World Intellectual Property Day, and it is celebrated each year on the 
anniversary of WIPO's creation, April 26.
  World Intellectual Property Day brings attention to the importance of 
intellectual property in the world economy and celebrates the 
contribution made by innovators and artists to the development and 
growth of societies across the globe. While most Members of the 
Congress have had the opportunity to see firsthand the importance of 
intellectual property to artists and businesses in our respective 
districts, World Intellectual Property Day serves as a helpful reminder 
to us and as an educational tool for those who may not realize how 
vital intellectual property is to our economic prosperity.
  From artistic works to life-saving medicines to revolutionary 
inventions, intellectual property enriches, enhances, and informs our 
lives. In spite of the tremendous importance of intellectual property, 
many Americans are unaware that the entertainment they enjoy and the 
technology they use to get their work done would not exist if not for 
the protections our Founding Fathers placed in the Constitution and the 
value our society has continued to place on these vital, yet 
intangible, contributions.
  World Intellectual Property Day is focused this year on bringing 
intellectual property to young people around the globe. Through it, we 
can reach out to young people about the importance of intellectual 
property and to increase understanding of how protecting IP rights 
helps to foster creativity and invention. America is an unsurpassed 
leader in imagination and innovation, and it will be up to our children 
and through the efforts of groups like the World Intellectual Property 
Organization of the U.N. to continue this strong tradition.
  House Resolution 210 will help bring attention to World Intellectual 
Property Day and to the tremendous value of intellectual property, and 
I hope that all of our colleagues will join us in support of this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank 
the gentleman from Wisconsin, the chairman of the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for yielding me time.
  I would also like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler), 
my friend, for his generous comments and especially for taking the 
initiative on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I am an original cosponsor of this resolution which 
supports World Intellectual Property Day and applauds the work of the 
World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO.
  WIPO is the leading intellectual property organization that works 
globally to promote intellectual property. Its mission is to promote 
the use and protection of works of the human spirit.
  The organization administers 23 intellectual property treaties and 
works to educate member countries about the importance of intellectual 
property.
  In the United States, the intellectual property industries drive our 
economy. Whether it is the creative industries that produce music and 
movies or high-tech companies that produce software and research, 
nanotechnology, innovation keeps America competitive.
  The United States is a member of WIPO. In order to safeguard our 
inventors and innovators, we must not only enact strong intellectual 
property laws in the U.S. but also must make sure our products are 
protected abroad. WIPO works to do just that.
  April 26 was established by WIPO 5 years ago as World Intellectual 
Property Day. H. Res. 210 applauds WIPO for its work and commemorates 
April 26, 2005, as World Intellectual Property Day.
  This resolution is an appropriate way to call attention to such a 
worthy organization, and I encourage my colleagues to support it. Once 
again, I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler) 
for his sponsoring of this resolution.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 210, a 
resolution acknowledging the importance of intellectual property in the 
United States and throughout the world. I thank Mr. Wexler for 
introducing this important legislation.
  Prior to my election to Congress, I spent over twenty years in the 
consumer electronic industry. I know firsthand the importance of 
allowing an individual or company to reasonably protect their creative 
works. If it were not for this ability to prevent others from 
infringing upon a creator's ideas, the United States would not be the 
engine of economic growth that it is today.
  World Intellectual Property Day was established in recognition of 
these principles. The goals of this Day are simple--to promote, inform, 
and teach the importance of intellectual property. Through my travels 
abroad, I have come to realize that not all entities around the globe, 
public or private, respect intellectual property rights to the same 
degree. For example, we still face increasing amounts of piracy of 
copyrighted works and counterfeiting of patented medications. Put 
plainly, the incentive to create stems in great part from the desire to 
do so exclusively. Ensuring the continuation of intellectual property 
rights in the United States and throughout the world will only serve to 
bring more high quality and safe products consumers want to the market.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 210.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their

[[Page H2593]]

remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 748, the bill to be 
considered shortly.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________