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Rep. Smith Floor Statement on REAL ID Act
Mar 15, 2005
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I rise in strong support of this rule. Last October, 282 of us voted for landmark legislation that fulfilled our duty to our constituents to make America an appreciably safer place. H.R. 10 truly reflected the hard-earned lesson of 9-11. Unfortunately, the other body then saw fit to strip from t...
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Subcommittee Statement on Digital Music Licensing
Mar 8, 2005
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Today, this Subcommittee begins updating compulsory music licenses, focusing on Section 115 mechanical licenses. Over the past few years, the growth in the online music business has been phenomenal, demonstrating the strong demand by consumers for legal music. Last year, the iPod had record sales. M...
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Subcommittee Statement on the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act
Mar 3, 2005
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S. 167 and its companion, H.R. 357, contain four main components. First, the Family Movie Act will enable parents to skip content they deem objectionable for their children.Second, the Art Act will create new penalties for those who camcord movies in public theaters and who willfully infringe copyri...
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Subcommittee Statement on Trademark Dilution Revision Act
Mar 3, 2005
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The foundation of trademark law is that certain words, images, and logos convey meaningful information to the public, including the source, quality, and goodwill of a product or service. Unfortunately, there are those in both commercial and non-commercial settings who would seize upon the populari...
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Floor Statement on Frivolous Lawsuits
Feb 16, 2005
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Frivolous lawsuits bankrupt individuals, ruin reputations, drive up insurance premiums, increase health care costs, and put a drag on the economy. For example, the Chief Executive Officer of San Antonio’s Methodist Children’s Hospital was sued after he stepped into a patient’s hospital room and ask...
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Judiciary Committee Statement on Lawsuit Abuse
Sep 8, 2004
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Frivolous lawsuits harm our economy and threaten to bankrupt business owners. This is especially true of small business owners who do not have the money to fund prolonged lawsuits. The alarming spread of frivolous lawsuits has made a mockery of our legal system. Frivolous suits are brought despit...
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Floor Statement Thanking President Bush
Jul 22, 2004
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Watch videoI’d like to express my appreciation to President Bush for the good news he is giving Americans.Thanks to his efforts to combat terrorism, terrorists around the world are on the run. Thanks to his economic initiatives, one million new jobs have been created in the last several months.Than...
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Committee Markup Statement on the Family Movie Act
Jul 21, 2004
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We are here today to determine whether parents have the right to decide what their children watch on screen in the privacy of their own home. Specifically, do parents have a right to protect their children from sex, violence, and profanity in movies? These days, I don’t think anyone would even consi...
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Subcommittee Statement on Internet Streaming of Radio Broadcasts
Jul 15, 2004
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The purpose of today’s hearing is to begin an examination of issues that relate to the streaming of copyrighted sound recordings over the Internet. A related issue is the potential impact of new technologies and devices, such as HD or digital radio, upon the careful balance of interests embodied in ...
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Judiciary Committee Statement on Judicial Activism
Jul 14, 2004
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All Americans are entitled to a fair hearing before independent-minded judges whose only allegiance is to the law. Too often, we take that for granted. But what should citizens do – or their elected representatives – when a few judges step out of bounds and try to change the rules of the game?Fed...
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