Author: skraly

February 21, 2008

Government abuses eminent domain
By Raymond J. Keating (Newsday.com - 2/18/08)
How did downtowns - or any set of buildings - ever get built on Long Island without government development plans and politicians threatening property owners with condemnation? Well, it turns out the private sector works pretty darn well. Entrepreneurs, businesses and property owners actually have the incentives to bargain, buy, sell and build. They earn profits by serving residential and commercial markets. Matters go awry when government gets in the way with high taxes and costly, unnecessary regulation, including inflexible zoning. Government also needs to keep the streets clean, fill the potholes, and protect people and property.
newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-opkea185582308feb18,0,6403009.column

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JOIN THE
PROPERTY RIGHTS ACTION CAUCUS!!!
I invite you all to join the new Property Rights Action Caucus for weekly information & for defending these rights. Our liberties are only as secure as our property rights.
We will examine: eminent domain, federal government property ownership, downloading of multimedia, the Endangered Species Act, patent reform, pharmaceutical issues, compulsory licensing, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) & all issues of land and intellectual property.
Please contact Stephen Kraly at 202-225-4101 or stephen.kraly@mail.house.gov for membership and info.

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CHINA:
New approach to patent trials
By Xie Chuanjiao (China Daily-2/20/08)
Foreign experts will be allowed to take part in patent rights trials involving foreign parties, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Tuesday.
Intellectual property rights are becoming increasingly significant in China. Last year, the number of domestic patent applications rose to more than 301,000, up nearly 35 percent on 2006, while foreign applications grew almost 14 percent to more than 50,000, according to the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-02/20/content_6467923.htm

For more information on the Property Rights Action Caucus, please visit
http://broun.house.gov/prac. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Caucus please
contact Stephen Kraly at 202.225.4101 or Stephen.Kraly@mail.house.gov.

EU states urged to adopt tougher copyright protection rules (euractiv.com—2/20/08)
The European Parliament urged member states to adopt newly drafted EU rules on copyright protection, introducing harmonised criminal sanctions across Europe for activities ranging from illegal downloading to the sale of counterfeit medicines.
The draft foresees the introduction of a number of measures to curb the violation of intellectual property rights, including custodial sentences, fines, destruction of fake goods, closure of establishments used to commit an offence, bans on engaging in commercial activities, or bans on access to public assistance or subsidies.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-states-urged-adopt-tougher-copyright-protection-rules/article-170413
The full article can be found online at:
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/01/31/superbowl-nfl-trademark-oped-cx_csm_0201superbowl.html

CONFER: Congress wants your water
By Bob Confer (The Tonawanda News - 2/18/08)
There is an upcoming Congressional hearing about pending legislation known as the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007. Bills HR2421 and S1870 are sponsored by Representative James Oberstar (D-MN) and Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), respectively, and have significant cosponsorship right down the party line. This act, were it to be passed, would amend the language of the Clean Water Act of 1972.
The new version would delete the word “navigable” and replace it with the word “all.” Therefore, no longer would federal jurisdiction apply only to lakes and rivers, but it would be extended to all bodies of water — permanent or intermittent — everywhere in the United States, be they in your backyard or on your farm. The federal definition will be extended to include, among other things, streams, wetlands, sloughs, wet meadows, and ponds. http://www.tonawanda-news.com/opinion/local_story_049232743.html?keyword=topstory

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