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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1208 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1208

        Supporting the goals of World Intellectual Property Day.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2010

 Mr. Smith of Washington (for himself, Mrs. Bono Mack, and Mr. Coble) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
        Supporting the goals of World Intellectual Property Day.

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.
                                 <all>
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