Orrin Hatch: “my good friend and colleague Mr. Coble, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee…”

“my good friend and colleague Mr. Coble, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee introduced in the House today the Copyright Compulsory License Improvement Act. I had intended to introduce similar legislation in the Senate today, but have decided to allow some of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee time to review this important legislation and join me in presenting legislation to the Senate. Let me first thank Mr. Coble for his leadership in this area. He and his staff have worked tirelessly to develop the bill he introduced today. It is legislation that will set the stage for increased competition in the multi-channel video delivery market, and that means greater viewer choice in getting television. It is always a pleasure to work with Chairman Coble, and I look forward to working with him as we perfect this legislation and move it to enactment. I have also worked with the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy, who has provided valuable input into the Senate legislation. I must also acknowledge the input of the Register of Copyrights and Copyright Office staff. They worked along with congressional staff in creating this legislation. Let me say that I believe the legislation that Chairman Coble and I have worked on effectively balances the various interests affected by the legislation.”