109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 230
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Rus-
sian Federation must protect intellectual prop-
erty rights.
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 230
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the protection of intellectual property is critical to 
the Nation’s economic competitiveness in the 21st cen-
tury; 
Whereas Russia remains on the Special 301 Priority Watch 
List compiled by the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR), and the Congress is gravely concerned about 
the failure of the Russian Federation to live up to inter-
•HCON 230 EH 
national standards in the protection of intellectual prop-
erty rights, a core American asset; 
Whereas the Congress wants to ensure that the Russian Fed-
eration redoubles its efforts to adopt and enforce aggres-
sive laws, policies, and practices in the fight against pi-
racy and counterfeiting; 
Whereas the Congress is particularly concerned that the Rus-
sian Federation is, in the words of Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 28, a place where ‘‘piracy that is open and no-
torious is permitted to operate without meaningful hin-
drance from the government’’; 
Whereas, according to USTR, enforcement of intellectual 
property rights in Russia ‘‘remains weak and caused sub-
stantial losses for the U.S. copyright, trademark, and 
patent industries in the last year. Piracy in all copyright 
sectors continues unabated, and the U.S. copyright in-
dustry estimated losses of $1.7 billion in 2004.’’; 
Whereas the Russian Federation must understand that fail-
ure to adequately protect and enforce intellectual prop-
erty rights will have political and economic ramifications 
for its relationship with the United States; 
Whereas accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
represents an agreement to conform one’s practices to 
the rule of law, and to international standards in the 
WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellec-
tual Property Rights (TRIPS); 
Whereas notwithstanding some recent legislative improve-
ments, Russia’s regime to protect intellectual property 
rights does not conform with TRIPS standards; 
Whereas the United States can ill afford deterioration of the 
world trading system by permitting the entry of a coun-
•HCON 230 EH 
try into the WTO that has not demonstrated its willing-
ness and ability to conform its practices to the require-
ments of the TRIPS; and 
Whereas the leaders of the G–8, including President Putin of 
the Russian Federation, recently pledged to reduce intel-
lectual property piracy through more effective enforce-
ment: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the Russian Federation should provide ade-
quate and effective protection of intellectual property 
rights, or it risks losing its eligibility to participate 
in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) pro-
gram; and 
(2) as part of its effort to accede to the World 
Trade Organization, the Russian Federation must 
ensure that intellectual property is securely pro-
tected in law and in practice, by demonstrating that 
the country is willing and able to meet its inter-
national obligations in this respect.
Passed the House of Representatives November 16, 
2005. 
Attest:
Clerk.