Legislative Update - March 2008

PRO IP ACT

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property recently approved the PRO IP Act, officially known as H.R. 4279: Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007. The primary goal of the bipartisan bill is to strengthen criminal and civil laws that pertain to copyright and trademark infringement. In the proposed legislation, a new official dedicated to furthering this objective, the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER), would be placed within the Executive Office of the White House. Under the USIPER's leadership, supplementary officers would be designated to fight international counterfeiting and piracy. In addition, a permanent Intellectual Property Division would be created within the Department of Justice that would be charged with improving and documenting intellectual property law enforcement activities of the Justice Department.

The PRO IP Act is in the first stage of the legislative process, and must now pass through the full Judiciary Committee, and then the House of Representatives. It was introduced last December by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX), Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), and Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ric Keller (R-FL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and Robert Wexler (D-FL). Additional cosponsors are Representatives Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Howard Coble (R-NC), Mike Pence (R-IN), Melvin Watt (D-NC) and Robert Wexler (D-FL). A companion bill cosponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), S. 2317, was introduced in the Senate last fall. To date, no further action has been taken on the Senate measure.


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