[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S8848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ACT

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to inform my colleagues of 
my request to be notified of any unanimous consent agreement that would 
allow for the consideration of S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual 
Property Rights Act of 2008. I intend to reserve my right to object to 
any such request.
  S. 3325 was marked up by the Judiciary Committee just last Thursday 
afternoon. I circulated several amendments to address a number of 
concerns I had about the bill. Two of my amendments--one that would add 
USDA to the list of agencies on the IPEC Advisory Committee, and 
another that would provide for an orderly transition from NIPLECC to 
IPEC--were adopted by the committee. However, I withheld from offering 
other amendments because I received a commitment that the chairman and 
ranking member of the Judiciary Committee would work with me to address 
my other concerns.
  For example, I have concerns with the funding of the new State and 
local law enforcement grant programs in section 501 and the grant match 
ratio for those programs. Further, I have concerns with the creation of 
a new intellectual property crimes unit at the FBI to enforce 
intellectual property rights and the authorization of additional 
funding, resources and staff for the FBI to implement these additional 
responsibilities. I firmly believe that the FBI should focus its 
efforts on combating terrorism. I am concerned about duplication with 
work currently being performed at ICE and its National Intellectual 
Property Rights Coordination Center. Moreover, I am concerned with 
language calling for the prioritization of cases involving foreign 
controlled companies, and the lack of any priority for cases 
investigated by the FBI that have a nexis to potential terrorist 
activities.
  My staff will be sitting down with the chairman and ranking member's 
staff to work on my concerns. Again, I intend to reserve my right to 
object to proceeding to the consideration of S. 3325 until my concerns 
have been addressed.

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