Senate passes intellectual property bill

The U.S. Senate recently unanimously passed legislation on Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement, Senate Bill 3325. The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., ranking member, was also passed by the House of Representatives and has been sent to the White House for the president’s signature.

S.B. 3325 would increase tools and resources for the Department of Justice’s programs to fight intellectual property theft, protect innovation and advancement within the United States, and establish federal efforts to eliminate counterfeiting and piracy, according to a release from the Automotive Service Association (ASA). Both the House and Senate made clear that intellectual property, which includes copyrights, patents and trademarks, is critical to U.S. economic success, but is presently vulnerable to numerous types of theft and misuse.

S.B. 3325 does not include language from Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s, D-Calif., bill, H.R. 5638, which would create an exception from infringement for certain component parts used to repair another article of manufacture. The exemption is for parts with the sole purpose of repairing the original appearance of the article of manufacture.

To view the text of both of these bills, visit ASA’s legislative Web site, www.TakingTheHill.com.