[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 42 (Monday, October 19, 1998)]
[Pages 2034-2035]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Congressional Action on the ``Digital Millennium Copyright 
Act''

October 12, 1998

    I am pleased that the Congress has passed the ``Digital Millennium 
Copyright Act.'' This bill will implement the two new landmark World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties that my 
administration negotiated. These treaties will provide clear 
international standards for intellectual property protection in the 
digital environment and protect U.S. copyrighted works, musical 
performances, and sound recordings from international piracy.
    American copyright-based industries that produce and promote 
creative and high-technology products contribute more than $60 billion 
annually to the balance of U.S. trade. This bill will extend 
intellectual protection into the digital era while preserving fair use 
and limiting infringement liability for providers of basic communication 
services. I look forward to signing this legislation into law, and I 
urge the Senate to ratify these treaties

[[Page 2035]]

so that America can continue to lead the world in the information age.