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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 28 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 28

Expressing the sense of the Congress on World Intellectual Property Day 
  regarding the importance of protecting intellectual property rights 
                               globally.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 26, 2005

 Mr. Lugar (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Allen, Mr. Hatch, Mr. DeWine, 
    Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Chafee) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the Congress on World Intellectual Property Day 
  regarding the importance of protecting intellectual property rights 
                               globally.

Whereas protection of intellectual property is critical to our nation's economic 
        competitiveness, cultural diversity, health and scientific development;
Whereas the United States economy depends increasingly on the work of authors, 
        artists, inventors, programmers, and many others who create intellectual 
        products of high value;
Whereas theft of intellectual property results in competitive disadvantages to 
        United States industries and job losses for American workers, and for 
        the United States economy as a whole;
Whereas the copyright industries employ approximately 11,500,000 workers or 8.41 
        percent of total employment in the United States, a number that 
        approaches the levels of employment in the health care and social 
        assistance sector (15,300,000 employees) and the entire manufacturing 
        sector (14,500,000 workers in 21 manufacturing industries);
Whereas there is great concern about the failure of many of our trading partners 
        to live up to their international obligations in the area of 
        intellectual property protection;
Whereas counterfeiting of copyrighted products in digital and other formats, as 
        well as counterfeiting of all types of trademarked products, has grown 
        to an enormous scale;
Whereas many of our trading partners, in particular Russia and China, have laws 
        in place to prevent piracy and counterfeiting, but are failing to 
        enforce the laws;
Whereas Russia and China alone are responsible for over $4,000,000,000 in losses 
        a year to United States industries due to piracy;
Whereas piracy in Russia and China is open, notorious, and permitted to operate 
        without meaningful hindrance from the governments of those countries;
Whereas China should be encouraged to meet its intellectual property protection 
        obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO);
Whereas Russia should be encouraged to explore means to provide effective piracy 
        protection enabling compliance with the rules set forth by the WTO;
Whereas the United States Government must convey to these countries that failure 
        to act will have political and economic consequences for relationships 
        with the United States; and
Whereas Congress has enacted legislation regarding the protection of 
        intellectual property, including measures which direct the 
        Administration to censure countries that fail to provide adequate and 
        effective protection for intellectual property: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Administration should utilize effective remedies 
        and solutions in addressing the lack of intellectual property 
        protection in China and Russia, using all available tools 
        provided by Congress;
            (2) the Administration should ensure that any country that 
        enjoys benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences 
        (GSP) program, such as Russia, lives up to its obligations to 
        provide adequate and effective protection for intellectual 
        property rights, or lose its eligibility to participate in 
        trade preference programs;
            (3) the Administration should ensure that action is taken 
        against any country with which the United States shares mutual 
        commitments under the WTO, such as China, when the country 
        fails to live up to its WTO commitments;
            (4) the Administration should urge Russia to promote 
        measures to enforce intellectual property protection which will 
        enable compliance with the intellectual property commitments 
        required by the WTO; and
            (5) the President should take any additional action the 
        President considers appropriate to protect the intellectual 
        property rights of United States businesses.
                                 <all>
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