Political Quotes

“we are fast approaching the end of this Congress and we have much unfinished business. While there are many items of importance to the American people that remain undone, I will speak today about a single bill that has been languishing for some time despite the fact that it is wholly uncontroversial. That bill is S. 671, the Madrid Protocol Implementation Act. This bill is important to American businesses, both big and small. As the International Trademark Association explained in a letter to me on February 9, 2000 on behalf of its 3,700 member companies and law firms, ``the practical benefits of the Madrid system, such as ease of applying and renewing trademark registrations internationally, will be of tremendous benefit to U.S. companies'' and, in particular, the benefits to ``small, entrepreneurial companies which do not have the financial means to seek separate national registrations for their trademarks in every country where they wish to do business.'' The bill and the Protocol are also supported by the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Information Technology Association of America. I first introduced this legislation in the 105th Congress as S. 2191 and again in this Congress in March, 1999. The Judiciary Committee reported S. 671, favorably and unanimously, on February 10, 2000. Unfortunately, the legislation has been languishing on the Senate calendar for the past eight months.”