FC: Congressional caucus forms to tout copyright, oppose piracy

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

I wrote a quick article about this (with comments from the MPAA and RIAA) 
that you can find here:
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-1007908.html

-Declan

---

From: Johnson, Eric
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2003 2:55 PM
To: Democratic AAs; Democratic LDs
Subject: Join the IP Caucus
Hi all.
My boss, Rep Wexler,  is starting a new caucus with Reps Adam Smith and Tom 
Feeney about intellectual property issues.  If you would like to join the 
Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy 
Prevention, contact myself or Ellen McLaren on my staff.  Thanks and have a 
great weekend.
Eric Johnson
_____________
Chief of Staff, Congressman Robert Wexler
213 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-3001
202-225-5974 (fax)

Protect American Innovation and Ideas
Join the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy 
Prevention

Dear Colleague,
Intellectual property is the creative product of the human mind.  Your 
intellectual property - whether patented invention, copyrighted song or 
trademark - is as much yours as your house or car.  You enjoy the 
intellectual property of other people whenever you turn on your computer, 
listen to the radio, or watch television or a movie.  Innovation in 
technology has allowed us to instantly communicate with friends and 
colleagues around the world with email programs and to dramatically improve 
productivity with easy-to-use computer operating systems.  The innovation 
of artists, musicians and entertainers from George Gershwin and Maria 
Callas to Halle Berry and Garth Brooks has advanced all aspects of our 
culture.  Innovation in agriculture, refinements in crop strains, allow us 
to enjoy more-resilient and better-tasting fruits and vegetables.  And we 
can enjoy those innovations and many more like them because America has a 
long tradition of protecting intellectual property with over 200 years of 
strong copyright and patent law.

Intellectual property can be difficult to see or touch but it is at the 
heart of American industry and exports and has been the catalyst of 
progress for decades.  However, probably because intellectual property is 
intangible, the issues confronting intellectual property holders are often 
not well understood by the general public.  Due to this lack of 
understanding, the concerns of the thousands of Americans whose livelihoods 
depend on intellectual property protection are not being fully debated or 
addressed.

We want to invite you to join the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual 
Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention.  The role of the Congressional 
Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention will be to 
educate members and staff about intellectual property rights, particularly 
as these rights relate to ever-changing technologies.  The Caucus will work 
with experts from the Administration, executive branch, intellectual 
property holders, and consumer groups in order to facilitate more informed 
debate and legislative action on intellectual property protection and 
domestic and international piracy issues.  It is our hope that the Caucus 
will create a forum for both domestic and international patent and 
copyright issues.

If you are interested in joining the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual 
Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention, please contact Ellen McLaren 
(Rep. Wexler) at 5-3001, Brandon Steinmann (Rep. Feeney) at 5-2706, or John 
Mulligan (Rep. A. Smith) at 5-8901.




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