[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 27, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2917-H2919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1208) supporting the goals of World
Intellectual Property Day.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1208
Whereas intellectual property is the backbone of the
economic competitiveness of the United States and the only
economic sector in which the United States has a trade
surplus with every nation in the world;
Whereas well over 50 percent of United States exports now
depend on some form of intellectual property, compared to
less than 10 percent 50 years ago;
Whereas intangible assets that stem from intellectual
property, such as high-value services, global branding,
technological know-how, and scientific research, must be
recognized as cornerstones in achieving economic recovery and
creating jobs;
Whereas intellectual property assets today represent more
than one third of the value of United States-based
corporations and more than 17 percent of the gross domestic
product of the United States;
Whereas intellectual property plays a significant role in
an increasingly broad range of services, ranging from the
Internet to health care to nearly all aspects of science and
technology and literature and the arts, and the potential for
innovation and invention must be fostered as its greatest
attribute;
Whereas the United States and all countries share the
challenge of combating piracy and counterfeiting of
intellectual property, including illicit trade in life-saving
drugs, cutting edge technologies, film, music, books, and
inventions that affect the quality of life;
Whereas the piracy and counterfeiting of intellectual
property have a significant impact on economies around the
world, translate into lost jobs, lost earnings, and lost tax
revenues, and threaten public health and safety;
Whereas the World Intellectual Property Organization, with
184 member states, is the primary organization in the world
focused on the development and protection of intellectual
property rights for all creators and all countries;
Whereas World Intellectual Property Day provides an
opportunity to reflect on how intellectual property touches
all aspects of people's lives, how copyright helps music to
be heard and art, films, and literature to be seen, how
industrial design helps shape the world in which people live,
how trademarks provide reliable signs of quality, and how
patenting helps promote ingenious inventions that make life
easier, faster, safer, and sometimes completely changes the
way people live;
Whereas the theme of 2010 World Intellectual Property Day
is ``Innovation-Linking the World'', and presents an
opportunity to champion the role of intellectual property
rights in providing incentives for the development of the
innovative solutions needed to meet today's global challenges
while creating jobs and stimulating the United States
economy;
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 everyone's daily lives; and
Whereas April 26, 2010, has been designated as World
Intellectual Property Day, a time to celebrate the importance
of intellectual property to the United States and the world:
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) recognizes the ever-increasing importance of
intellectual property and the new challenges and serious
threats to its protection, which affect prospects for future
growth of the United States economy;
(3) supports robust and ongoing efforts to protect the
health and well-being of citizens in the United States from
fraudulent and illegal counterfeiting and piracy;
(4) 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; and
(5) 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 United States and the world.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1208 supports the goals of World
Intellectual Property Day and recognizes the importance of protecting
intellectual property. World Intellectual Property Day brings attention
to the impact that intellectual property has in our daily lives,
educates us on how intellectual property protection promotes creativity
and innovation, and celebrates its contributions to society.
The theme for World Intellectual Property Day this year is,
``Innovation: Linking the World.'' The focus is to educate us on how
innovation technologies have created an interlinked and global society.
Yesterday, we celebrated the 10th annual World Intellectual Property
Day. This day was selected because on April 26, 1970, the United
Nations established
[[Page H2918]]
the World Intellectual Property Organization, otherwise known as WIPO.
WIPO works to promote the protection of intellectual property
throughout the world, and yesterday was WIPO's 40th anniversary. This
resolution congratulates the World Intellectual Property Organization
for building awareness of the value of intellectual property. This
resolution also celebrates the contributions of innovators throughout
the world and reminds us of the importance of protecting intellectual
property rights.
Protecting intellectual property rights is key to maintaining
incentives for the development of innovative solutions to meet today's
global challenges, and so we must continue to fight against piracy and
counterfeiting of intellectual property. Piracy damages our national
economy and the world economy. It results in lost jobs and stifles
innovation.
I would like to thank Congressman Adam Smith for introducing this
resolution. I would also like to acknowledge the strong bipartisan
support of members of the Intellectual Property Caucus.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he might
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), a senior
member of the Judiciary Committee and a former chairman of the
Intellectual Property Subcommittee.
Mr. COBLE. I thank my friend from Texas (Mr. Smith) for yielding.
Madam Speaker, intellectual property has been described as the
cornerstone, or one of the cornerstones, of America's economic future;
and I think that is an accurate description.
H. Res. 1208 supports the goals of World Intellectual Property Day,
which falls on April 26 every year, which this year also happened to
fall on the 40th anniversary of the World Intellectual Property
Organization, commonly known as WIPO. WIPO has grown to 184 member
states, and its new director general, Francis Gurry, issued a statement
honoring World Intellectual Property Day, which pledged to ensure that
the intellectual property system continues to serve its most
fundamental purpose of encouraging innovation and creativity, and that
the benefits of the system are accessible to all, helping to bring the
world closer.
Robust and effective laws combined with effective enforcement are
absolutely necessary to meet General Gurry's global ambitions.
According to the Department of Commerce, intellectual property-
intensive industries employ nearly 18 million workers, account for more
than 50 percent of all U.S. exports, and represent 40 percent of the
country's growth in the United States. USA for Innovation estimates
that U.S. intellectual property is worth between $5 trillion and $5.5
trillion. The credit for this success belongs to our great innovators
and for our robust intellectual property laws which have enabled
innovation to flourish in America.
Expanding similar intellectual property protections throughout the
world is, in my opinion, Madam Speaker, in everyone's best interest. In
this regard, WIPO plays a very important role, and it is my hope that
General Gurry will make every effort to help others realize the
significance of intellectual property rights and work to help implement
and enforce robust laws which ensure that intellectual property will
flourish everywhere.
I urge support of H. Res. 1208.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Smith), the author of the resolution before us.
(Mr. SMITH of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of
House Resolution 1208.
I would like to thank Chairman Conyers as well as his staff for their
support in bringing this resolution to the floor, and for the kind
remarks from the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). I also want
to thank the other Chairs of the House Intellectual Property Caucus,
the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono Mack) and, again, the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), who have joined me in
sponsoring House Resolution 1208.
This important resolution commemorates World Intellectual Property
Day, which was observed yesterday, April 26. Each year since 2001,
World IP Day has been held in observance of the establishment of the
World Intellectual Property Organization by the United Nations. World
Intellectual Property Day calls attention to the importance of IP for
both our Nation and the international economy. It recognizes the
contributions made by the countless artists, innovators, and other
creative minds that enrich, assist, and inform us in many ways.
In and around my district in Washington State, I am able to observe
daily the critically important role played by innovation and
intellectual property to the economies of the South Sound region and
the United States. As many of my colleagues are aware, Washington State
is fortunate to boast a robust technological and innovative economy,
with companies that range in size from major corporations to hundreds
of smaller and medium-size businesses. Together, these industries
directly and indirectly create hundreds of thousands of jobs and
generate billions of dollars in economic activity. Each relies upon
innovation and respect for intellectual property to remain successful
and internationally competitive.
Similarly, in States and localities throughout America, artists,
inventors, and employees in IP-intensive industries play a major role
in supporting economic vitality. IP creates well-paying job
opportunities for workers of multiple skill levels, drives research and
development investment, creates new products and services that make our
Nation more globally competitive, and drives American exports to
foreign markets.
For intellectual property to work, it has to be protected; people
have to know that they will get the value of their inventions and of
their brain power. We must protect intellectual property to grow jobs
here in the U.S. It is critical.
I am proud to recognize World Intellectual Property Day, and I ask my
colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution to recognize World
Intellectual Property Day and the role that intellectual property plays
in our Nation.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the purpose of House Resolution 1208 is to
congratulate the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, for
its work and to support the goals of World Intellectual Property Day.
This day includes teaching the importance of intellectual property as a
tool for economic, social, and cultural development.
WIPO is considered the most important international organization for
the promotion of intellectual property. Among other responsibilities,
WIPO administers treaties, such as the Berne and Paris Conventions,
that protect intellectual property globally. The United States, of
course, is a WIPO member.
Nine years ago, WIPO member states commemorated 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.
This resolution commemorates the achievements of WIPO and its
designation of April 26, 2010 as World Intellectual Property Day for
the current year. In addition, the resolution contains background
information on the extent to which intellectual property generates
jobs, sales, and exports for the United States, while contrasting these
benefits with the problems related to piracy and anti-counterfeiting.
I support this resolution and I urge its adoption.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1208.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
[[Page H2919]]
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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