The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing April 25 on intellectual property, and it is clear from chairman Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) email noting the hearing the high esteem in which protecting that property is held.
The title of the hearing is “Intellectual Property—Driver of Innovation: Making Our Lives Healthier, Safer, and More Productive.” The hearing comes the day before the annual celebration of World Intellectual Property Day.
The Judiciary committee has jurisdiction over intellectual property laws, including patents, trademarks and copyright.
Protecting intellectual property in an era of digital distribution is one of the key policy goals for the creative community and one of Grassley's as well.
"[T]he current era of internet connectivity is transforming how consumable culture such as films, TV, music, books, art and other cultural works are created and distributed," Grassley said in a floor speech on April 26, 2016, in commemoration of the annual nod to content protections. "This has led to radical changes in the way we access content and in how businesses operate. As challenges emerge as to how we protect intellectual property rights in these new economic models, we must continue to search for effective solutions that promote creativity across different mediums."
