IV 
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 eco-
nomic sector in which the United States has a trade sur-
plus 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 prop-
erty, such as high-value services, global branding, techno-
logical know-how, and scientific research, must be recog-
nized as cornerstones in achieving economic recovery and 
creating jobs; 
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•HRES 1208 IH 
Whereas intellectual property assets today represent more 
than one third of the value of United States-based cor-
porations and more than 17 percent of the gross domes-
tic product of the United States; 
Whereas intellectual property plays a significant role in an in-
creasingly 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 po-
tential for innovation and invention must be fostered as 
its greatest attribute; 
Whereas the United States and all countries share the chal-
lenge of combating piracy and counterfeiting of intellec-
tual property, including illicit trade in life-saving drugs, 
cutting edge technologies, film, music, books, and inven-
tions 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 reve-
nues, 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 intel-
lectual property rights for all creators and all countries; 
Whereas World Intellectual Property Day provides an oppor-
tunity 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 in-
dustrial 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 
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•HRES 1208 IH 
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 op-
portunity to champion the role of intellectual property 
rights in providing incentives for the development of the 
innovative solutions needed to meet today’s global chal-
lenges while creating jobs and stimulating the United 
States economy; 
Whereas April 26, 1970, was the date on which the Conven-
tion establishing the World Intellectual Property Organi-
zation 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 Intel-
lectual 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 im-
portance of intellectual property as a tool for eco-
nomic, social, and cultural development; 
(2) recognizes the ever-increasing importance of 
intellectual property and the new challenges and se-
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