[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7926-H7927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ARTISTIC RECOGNITION FOR TALENTED STUDENTS ACT
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 169) to amend title 17, United States Code, to require the
Register of Copyrights to waive fees for filing an application for
registration of a copyright claim in certain circumstances, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 169
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Artistic Recognition for
Talented Students Act'' or the ``ARTS Act''.
SEC. 2. WAIVER OF FEES FOR WINNERS OF CERTAIN COMPETITIONS.
Section 708 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(e)(1) In this subsection, the term `covered competition'
means--
``(A) an art competition sponsored by the Congressional
Institute that is open only to high school students; or
``(B) the competition established under section 3 of House
Resolution 77, 113th Congress, agreed to February 26, 2013.
``(2) With respect to a work that wins a covered
competition, the Register of Copyrights--
``(A) shall waive the requirement under subsection (a)(1)
with respect to an application for registration of a
copyright claim for that work if that application is
submitted to the Copyright Office not later than the last day
of the calendar year following the year in which the work
claimed by the application wins the covered competition
(referred to in this paragraph as the `covered year'); and
``(B) may waive a fee described in subparagraph (A) for an
application submitted after the end of the covered year if
the fee would have been waived under that subparagraph had
the application been submitted before the last day of the
covered year.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Fitzgerald) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on S. 169.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 169, the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students
Act, or the ARTS Act, would help introduce promising young students who
have won either the Congressional Art Competition or the Congressional
App Challenge to the intellectual property system by waiving the fee
for these students to apply for a copyright for their winning work.
I applaud the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) for introducing
the House version of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with the
gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace), along with several of my
colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, including Courts, Intellectual
Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Johnson and Ranking
Member Issa, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), and the
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz).
The bill was passed under suspension last year. We are pleased today
to take up passage of the Senate version of the bill, championed by
Senators Leahy and Tillis, so the bill will pass both Chambers and
become law.
We in this Chamber know just how important intellectual property
rights are to our country and our economy, yet studies show that
awareness of intellectual property is lacking among the country's
students, even if they pursue fields that are IP intensive. The ARTS
Act helps close this awareness gap early on and allows these students
to participate in the intellectual property system without a financial
burden.
What it also does is help build the farm team for all of those who
will be protecting intellectual property in the
[[Page H7927]]
future. It gives them a sense of ownership, and it ties them to the
Constitution because intellectual property certainly is part of their
constitutional privilege, constitutional rights, and constitutional
protection.
Property rights are very important, and that is what intellectual
property is. It builds on Congress' work to encourage the creativity of
our Nation's youth with the establishment of the Congressional Art
Competition and the Congressional App Challenge. Year after year, in
both of these competitions, the talent of students displayed is
remarkable. I know it well in the candidates that I have seen and the
choices that our arts committee in Houston in the 18th Congressional
District has made. They are brilliant, and the apps are equally so.
Year after year, in both of these competitions, we see outstanding
work. Through both, we continue to see our youth encouraged to develop
their artistic and technical talents as Congress intended.
The ARTS Act makes these competitions even more impactful. Under the
bill, the students may apply to register a copyright for their winning
work or winning app for free. This introduces these students to the
intellectual property system and the benefits of copyright protection--
again, a constitutional right.
Under current law, the Register of Copyrights cannot waive these fees
on her own. The ARTS Act amends the Copyright Act to allow such a fee
waiver for these specific circumstances. Building the farm team, again,
is so very important.
Once again, I applaud the sponsors of the bill for bringing forward
this important legislation, which will aid the next generation of
creators and innovators.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 169, the Artistic Recognition
for Talented Students Act.
The Constitution authorizes Congress ``to promote the progress of
science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and
inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and
discoveries.''
Our copyright system is designed to help fulfill that mandate by
promoting the work of authors, musicians, artists, and other creators.
Creative industries contribute hundreds of billions of dollars to the
U.S. economy every year. This bill makes it easier for some of our
brightest young creators to obtain copyrights on their award-winning
work. This is essentially the same as the bill that passed the House
under suspension of the rules last year.
Promoting and encouraging the next generation of American creators
ensures that our creative economy will remain strong for decades to
come.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, again, S. 169 is a short but important
bill that promotes education and awareness of intellectual property to
the next generation of creators. What an outstanding way to build the
farm team, to create a buy-in by the young geniuses of our time, both
in terms of the apps and arts and many other aspects.
Again, we recognize the constitutional connection to the idea of
property, copyright, intellectual property, and it is important for
young people to learn early on and to be protective of the genius of
America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, S. 169, the ``Artistic Recognition for Talented Students
Act'' or the ``ARTS Act,'' would help introduce promising young
students who have won either the Congressional Art Competition or the
Congressional App Challenge to the intellectual property system by
waiving the fee for those students to apply for a copyright
registration for their winning work.
I applaud my colleague, Mr. Jeffries, for introducing the House
version of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Ms. Mace, along
with several of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, including
Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member
Issa, Mr. Cicilline, and Ms. Spartz.
This bill was passed under suspension last year. We are pleased today
to take up passage of the Senate version of the bill, championed by
Senators Leahy and Tillis, so that the bill will pass both chambers and
become law.
We in this Chamber know just how important intellectual property
rights are to our country and our economy. Yet studies show that
awareness of intellectual property is lacking among the country's
students, even if they pursue fields that are IP-intensive. The ARTS
Act helps close this awareness gap early on and allows these students
to participate in the intellectual property system without a financial
burden.
It builds on Congress's work to encourage the creativity of our
nation's youth with the establishment of the Congressional Art
Competition and the Congressional App Challenge more.
Year after year, in both of these competitions, the talent our
students display is remarkable. Through both, we continue to see our
youth encouraged to develop their artistic and technical talents, as
Congress intended.
The ARTS Act makes these competitions even more impactful. Under the
bill, students may apply to register a copyright for their winning
artwork or winning app for free. This introduces these students to the
intellectual property system and the benefits of copyright protection.
Under current law, the Register of Copyrights cannot waive these fees
on her own. The ARTS Act amends the Copyright Act to allow such a fee
waiver for these specific circumstances.
Once again, I applaud the sponsors of the bill for bringing this
important legislation forward, which will aid the next generation of
creators and innovators.
I urge my colleagues to support its passage.
Mr. Speaker, S. 169 is a short but important bill that will promote
education and awareness of intellectual property to the next generation
of creators. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 169.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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