[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 82 (Thursday, May 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF FOREIGN PIRACY RESOLUTION

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                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2007

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Chairman, as co-chairman of the Congressional 
International Anti-Piracy Caucus, I rise today to introduce, along with 
my fellow co-chairman, Representative Adam Schiff, this resolution 
calling on foreign governments to lead by example in the fight against 
copyright piracy.
  Our Nation's Framers had the foresight to place language in our 
Constitution to protect creators' inventions and works. Article I, 
Section 8 of the Constitution lays the framework for all of our 
intellectual property laws. Because the United States has been the 
pioneer for intellectual property protections, it is no surprise that 
the copyright industries are so successful and are so crucial to our 
national economy. The U.S. copyright industries have created millions 
of high-skilled, high-paying U.S. jobs and have contributed billions to 
our economy.
  However, widespread piracy is taking its toll on the copyright 
industries. Copyright piracy results in billions of dollars in lost 
revenue for the U.S. copyright industries each year and even greater 
losses to the U.S. economy in terms of reduced job growth and exports. 
Much of the piracy these industries are facing is in foreign countries, 
and portions of this foreign piracy are attributable to unauthorized 
software use by government agencies, as well as the use of official 
government computers and networks to commit all types of copyright 
infringement.
  While the United States is the world's leader in intellectual 
property protections, the problem does not stop at our borders. Piracy 
in today's economy is a global problem. We must encourage other 
countries to enact and enforce strong intellectual property laws in 
order to fully protect America's inventors and authors.
  Foreign governments would do well to start by setting an example and 
denouncing piracy within their own agencies. One particularly 
disturbing trend is the growing willingness of many foreign governments 
to condone the use of, and even use, pirated materials. At its best, 
government sets the standards for the protection of rights. At its 
worst, government encourages and even participates in the breach of 
those rights.
  Today, I am introducing this resolution to call on all foreign 
governments to publicly denounce pirated products. Specifically, this 
resolution calls on foreign governments to follow the example set by 
the United States to discourage software piracy by the government, and 
to prevent the use of government computers to facilitate other types of 
piracy. Specifically, our resolution calls on foreign governments (1) 
to stop using unauthorized software, (2) to enact usage policies for 
government computers and networks that will prevent all types of 
copyright piracy over their systems, and (3) to make these efforts to 
combat piracy in government public to their citizens.
  It is my hope that this resolution will send a strong message to 
foreign governments to lead by example and set the standards regarding 
intellectual property protection for their countries.
  I urge each of my colleagues to support this commonsense resolution.

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