[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 173 (Wednesday, January 2, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CORRECTING AND IMPROVING THE LEAHY-SMITH AMERICA INVENTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Sunday, December 30, 2012

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or 
``AIA,'' which was signed into law on September 16, 2011, is the most 
substantial reform of U.S. patent law since the 1836 Patent Act. The 
AIA re-establishes the United States patent system as the global 
standard. The bill that we discuss today, H.R. 6621, makes necessary 
technical corrections to the AIA to ensure that the bill realizes its 
full potential to promote innovation and create jobs.
  The AIA represented the culmination of nearly a decade of work by 
Members, key staff, and officials from both the Bush and Obama 
Administrations. The bill helps to bring our patent system into the 
21st century and sets our nation's innovation infrastructure on the 
right path for decades to come.
  At the center of our successful efforts to enact the AIA and this 
technical corrections measure over the last decade has been Blaine 
Merritt, the Chief Counsel of the Committee on the Judiciary's 
Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
  Blaine has been a constant and tireless public servant, who has 
served the American people with quiet distinction and professionalism 
for nearly three decades. On the occasion of his retirement from the 
U.S. House of Representatives, I want to note a few of his many 
contributions to our work and to the betterment of the American people.
  A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Blaine's congressional career 
began in 1985 in our office where he began his public service as a 
Legislative Assistant. In 1988, he was promoted to Legislative 
Director, a position he served in until he was called to serve on the 
professional staff of the Committee on the Judiciary in 1997.
  Once on the Committee, Blaine was appointed Chief Counsel to the 
subcommittee with oversight over our intellectual property laws and 
courts related issues in 2000. In that capacity, Blaine served three 
successive Republican Chairmen--Representatives Henry Hyde, Jim 
Sensenbrenner and Lamar Smith.
  During his service on the Judiciary Committee, Blaine established 
himself and became recognized as one of our nation's foremost 
authorities on the law of patents, copyrights and trademarks as well as 
an expert on all matters that relate to the Federal judiciary and 
congressional procedure.
  Blaine's contributions to landmark legislation are innumerable. 
Counted among the bills he helped to steer to enactment are the 
American Inventor's Protection Act (AIPA), the Digital Millennium 
Copyright Act (DMCA) and the aforementioned Leahy-Smith AIA of 2011.
  Mr. Speaker, I've been blessed to represent the good citizens of the 
Sixth District of North Carolina, from where Blaine hails, since 1985. 
Throughout my tenure, I and countless other Members of the ``People's 
House'' have benefitted from his sound counsel, seasoned judgment and 
quiet leadership.
  As Blaine embarks upon the next phase of his career, I hope he takes 
a little time to relax and watch his beloved ``Blue Devils'' basketball 
team that is undefeated and ranked number one in the Nation. I thank my 
friend for his invaluable service and wish him ``Fair Winds and 
Following Seas'' always.

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