H. Res. 210

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

April 28, 2005.

Whereas intellectual property is the backbone of our Nation’s

economic competitiveness and the only sector where the

United States has a trade surplus with every nation in

the world;

Whereas all nations can use the intellectual property system

to achieve economic growth and cultural development;

Whereas intellectual property plays an important role in an

increasingly broad range of areas, ranging from the

Internet to health care to nearly all aspects of science

and technology and literature and the arts, and understanding the role of intellectual property in these areas—

many of them still emerging—often requires significant

new research and study;

Whereas World Intellectual Property Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how intellectual property touches all

aspects of our lives: how copyright helps bring music to

our ears and art, films, and literature before our eyes,

how industrial design helps shape our world, how trademarks provide reliable signs of quality, and how patenting helps promote ingenious inventions that make life

easier, faster, safer—and sometimes completely changes

our way of living;
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Whereas World Intellectual Property Day is an opportunity

to encourage young people everywhere to recognize the

creator, the problem-solver, and the artist within themselves, because the classrooms of today will produce the

entrepreneurs, the scientists, the designers, and the artists of tomorrow;

Whereas the over-arching objectives for World Intellectual

Property Day 2005 are to reach out to young people

about the importance of intellectual property, to increase

understanding of how protecting intellectual property

rights helps foster creativity and innovation, and to raise

awareness of the importance in daily life of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and designs;

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 our daily

lives; and

Whereas April 26, 2005, has been designated as World Intellectual Property Day as a time to celebrate the importance of intellectual property to the United States and

world economy: 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
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of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social,

and cultural development;

(2) 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;

(3) 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 Nation;

and

(4) recognizes that intellectual property continues

to face serious, new challenges, which affect prospects

for future growth of the United States economy.

Attest:

Clerk.