[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 156 (Sunday, September 28, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2141]]
 PRIORITIZING RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ACT 
                                OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 27, 2008

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for S. 
3325, the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual 
Property Act of 2008. This critical legislation will not only provide 
more resources for law enforcement to enforce existing copyright laws, 
it will also promote better coordination of U.S. intellectual property 
policy in the executive branch.
  These are two important policy goals for my constituents in 
Tennessee's 7th District. Tennessee's economic engine is built upon the 
strength of the creative community's intellectual property, and 
industries from auto manufacturing, film and entertainment, recording 
arts, and live performance depend ont he Federal government enforcing 
their property rights.
  The music industry in Nashville and Memphis alone accounts for nearly 
$7 billion in economic impact per year, and create than 20,000 jobs. 
Film, television, and cable broadcasting account for bills more. In 
2004, for example, the Oscar-winning film Walk the Line shot for over 
45 days in Memphis and Nashville, generating between $18 and $20 
million in economic impact for the local economy, and hundreds of high 
paying jobs. And before Nissan moved its North American headquarters to 
the Nashville area, Tennessee was already home to nearly 1000 auto-
related manufacturers, 159,000 jobs, and a payroll of over $6.6 
billion.
  These industries are based on the development, nourishment, and 
incubation of intellectual ideas before they evolve into marketable 
products. This process is not free, and instead dependent on an 
implicit understanding that appropriate compensation will result from 
investment and hard work.
  Unfortunately, these industries are suffering from rampant theft of 
their intellectual property online, and in marketplaces around the 
world to the tune of $58 billion each year. The Institute for Policy 
Innovation estimates intellectual property theft and copyright 
infringement costs American workers 373,375 jobs per year, $16.3 
billion in earnings, and $2.6 billion in tax revenue for governments at 
every level.
  These statistics are alarming and unacceptable, but demonstrate the 
U.S. must continue a vigilant effort to increase enforcement efforts. 
S. 3325 would provide the Federal government with new tools and 
information sharing capabilities consistent with this important goal, 
and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

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