Political Quotes

“this resolution goes to the question of the integrity of the House and its proceedings, and failure to act impugns the integrity of the House. Under article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has two obligations in regard to intellectual property protection: to provide authors and inventors a period of exclusivity, and to place a defined limit on that exclusivity. Both obligations are crucial because they accommodate a delicate balance between promoting new innovation and promoting broad scale access to that new innovation. In the case of prescription drugs, the balance is especially crucial. It is in the public interest to promote the development of new medicines. Every day, however, that competition in the drug market is delayed means fewer Americans with access to that medicine. The only thing more tragic than a life-threatening or debilitating illness is knowing that one cannot afford the medicine that would cure that illness. In accordance with its obligations under the Constitution, Congress has enacted a number of laws intended to provide inventors and authors limited intellectual property protection: the Patent Act, the Copyright Act, the Bayh-Dole Act, the Hatch-Waxman Act, and licensing laws for atomic energy and anti-pollution devices. Unfortunately, Hatch-Waxman confers intellectual property protection without limit.”