[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 7, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E853-E854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PRIORITIZING RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ACT 
                                OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2008

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
important legislation to strengthen our nation's laws against 
counterfeiting and intellectual property violations which passed the 
House yesterday.
  Article I Section 8 of our Constitution lays the framework for our 
nation's copyright and patent laws. It grants Congress the power to 
award inventors and creators, for limited periods of time, exclusive 
rights to their inventions and works. The founding fathers realized 
that this type of incentive was crucial to ensure that America would 
become the world's leader in innovation and creativity. As we continue 
our journey into the digital age, we must be sure to continue to reward 
our innovators with the exclusive rights to their works for limited 
periods of time. This incentive is still necessary to maintain 
America's position as the world leader in innovation.
  Because the United States has been the pioneer for intellectual 
property protections, it is no surprise that the copyright industries 
are so successful and play such an increasingly crucial role in 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, the proliferation of copyright piracy and 
counterfeiting in America is growing and is threatening to undermine 
the very copyright protections our founding fathers envisioned.
  In 1999, I introduced legislation with my friend, Representative Zoe 
Lofgren, to prohibit the alteration or removal of product 
identification codes on goods or packaging, prohibit the manufacture 
and distribution of devices primarily used to alter or remove product 
identification codes, and allow the seizure of decoded goods and 
decoding devices.
  In addition, for the better part of the past six years I have been 
pleased to work with retailers and law enforcement agencies to attempt 
to solve the growing problem of organized retail crime, which has 
resulted in billions of dollars of loss to retailers, has often 
resulted in counterfeit, diverted products being placed back on store 
shelves, has threatened the safety of such products as baby formula and 
medicine, and has been linked to major organized crime rings.
  I am equally pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 4279. This 
legislation builds on current laws in many ways, including increasing 
penalties for both civil violations of copyright laws and repeat 
offenders, allowing treble damages in certain counterfeiting cases, and 
increasing the maximum penalties for trafficking in counterfeit goods 
when those offenses endanger public health and safety. The bill also 
raises the profile of intellectual property within the Administrative 
Branch by creating an Office of U.S. IP Enforcement Representative 
within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate all the 
various agencies and departments that work on IP enforcement issues, 
and to serve as the President's principal advisor for IP matters. In 
addition, it increases the number of IP liaisons from the PTO in U.S. 
embassies around the world and enhances DOJ's computer crime units to 
make sure they are equipped and being used to prosecute IP violations.
  I believe this legislation is a major step in the right direction, 
and I look forward to continuing to work on this bill as it progresses 
through the legislative process.
    

[[Page E854]]

                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Thursday, May 8, 2008 may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                                 MAY 13
     10 a.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
         To hold an oversight hearing to examine the President's 
           proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the 
           Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
                                                            SR-253
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To hold hearings to examine the impacts of climate change 
           on the reliability, security, economics, and design of 
           critical energy infrastructure in coastal regions.
                                                            SD-366
       Environment and Public Works
         To hold hearings to examine proposed legislation on 
           mercury.
                                                            SD-406
       Finance
         To hold hearings to examine cracking the code, focusing 
           on tax reform for individuals.
                                                            SD-215
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings to examine the Bulletproof Vest 
           Partnership program, focusing on protecting our 
           nation's law enforcement officers.
                                                            SD-226
     2:30 p.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To hold an oversight hearing to examine the successes and 
           shortfalls of Title IV of the Indian Self-Determination 
           and Education Assistance Act, focusing on twenty years 
           of self-governance.
                                                            SD-562
       Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence 
           matters.
                                                            SH-219

                                 MAY 14
     9:30 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings to examine responding to the global food 
           crisis.
                                                            SD-419
     10 a.m.
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Paul A. 
           Schneider, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of 
           Homeland Security.
                                                            SD-342
     10:30 a.m.
       Aging
         To hold hearings to examine the future of Alzheimer's 
           disease, focusing on current breakthroughs and 
           challenges.
                                                            SD-106
     2:30 p.m.
       Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
       Children and Families Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine addressing the challenge of 
           children with food allergies.
                                                            SD-430
     3 p.m.
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
       Federal Financial Management, Government Information, 
           Federal Services, and International Security 
           Subcommittee
         To hold an oversight hearing to examine the National 
           Archives, focusing on protecting our nation's history 
           for future generations.
                                                            SD-342
       Appropriations
       Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
           fiscal year 2009 for the Federal Trade Commission.
                                                            SD-192

                                 MAY 15
     10 a.m.
       Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine nuclear terrorism, focusing 
           on providing medical care and meeting basic needs in an 
           aftermath.
                                                            SD-342
     2:30 p.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To hold hearings to examine development of oil shale 
           resources.
                                                            SD-366
       Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence 
           matters.
                                                            SH-219

                                 MAY 20
     10 a.m.
       Energy and Natural Resources
         To hold hearings to examine the Territorial Energy 
           Assessment as updated pursuant to the Energy Policy Act 
           of 2005 (Public Law 109-58).
                                                            SD-366

                                 MAY 21
     9:30 a.m.
       Veterans' Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine pending health care 
           legislation.
                                                            SR-418
     10 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings to examine the skyrocketing price of 
           oil.
                                                            SD-226

                                 JUNE 3
     9:30 a.m.
       Armed Services
         To hold hearings to examine the acquisition of major 
           weapons systems by the Department of Defense.
                                                            SD-106

                             POSTPONEMENTS

                                 MAY 15
     9:30 a.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To hold an oversight hearing to examine access to 
           contract health services in Indian country.
                                                            SD-562