U.S. Chamber Backs PRO-IP Act

United States Chamber of Commerce president, Thomas Donahue, writes about the importance of innovation in our nation's economic development.

He also rightly includes the protection and enforceability of intellectual property rights as a foundational requirement for that innovation-driven development.

Click here for the full article posted on the U.S. Chamber's Web site.

The article contains a brief note about Congress' recent passage of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO-IP Act).

The House of Representatives passed its version of the PRO-IP Act in May 2008. (Click here for H.R. 4279)

The Senate passed its version of the bill on September 26, 2008. (Click here for a news report.)The Chamber sees this bill as a positive way to protect American-owned intellectual property rights and to elevate this protection in the Administration. Although the Senate bill is narrower than the House version, some regard PRO-IP Act as controversial, including for provisions that may require the Department of Justice to enforce privately-held copyright registrations.

The online Chamber article offers a comment function. Add your voice there.