Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 704) to amend section 708 of title 17, United States Code, to permit the Register of Copyrights to waive fees for filing an application for registration of a copyright claim in certain circumstances, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 704

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act'' or the ``ARTS Act''. SEC. 2. WAIVER OF FEES FOR WINNERS OF CERTAIN COMPETITIONS.

Section 708 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(e)(1) In this subsection, the term `covered competition' means--

``(A) an art competition sponsored by the Congressional Institute that is open only to high school students; and

``(B) the competition described in section 3 of H. Res. 77, as adopted by the 113th Congress.

``(2) With respect to a work that wins a covered competition, the Register of Copyrights--

``(A) shall waive the requirement under subsection (a)(1) with respect to an application for registration of a copyright claim for that work if that application is filed not later than the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the work claimed by the application wins the covered competition (referred to in this paragraph as the `covered year'); and

``(B) may waive the fee described in subparagraph (A) for an application filed after the end of the covered year if the fee would have been waived under that subparagraph had the application been submitted before the last day of the covered year.''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 704, a bill that would help introduce promising young students who have won either the Congressional Art Competition or the Congressional App Challenge to the intellectual property system by waiving the fee for those students to apply for a copyright registration for their winning work.

I applaud Mr. Jeffries for introducing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Ms. Mace, along with their bipartisan cosponsors.

Many of us in this Chamber know just how important intellectual property rights are to our country and to our economy, yet studies show that awareness of intellectual property is lacking among the country's students, even if they pursue fields that are IP-intensive.

The ARTS Act helps close this awareness gap early on and allows these students to participate in the intellectual property system without a financial burden.

It builds on Congress' work to encourage the creativity of our Nation's youth with the establishment of the Congressional Art Competition nearly 40 years ago and the Congressional App Challenge more recently in 2013.

In the art competition, Members host a districtwide contest in which high school students compete to have their artwork hang in the Halls of Congress. In the app challenge, middle and high school students show off their computer coding skills and compete against others in their district.

Year after year, in both of these competitions, the talent our students display is remarkable. Through both, we continue to see our youth encouraged to develop their artistic and technology talents, as Congress intended.

The ARTS Act makes these competitions even more impactful. Under the bill, students may apply to register a copyright for their winning artwork and winning app for free. This introduces these students to the intellectual property system and the benefits of copyright protection.

Under current law, the Register of Copyrights cannot waive these fees on her own. The ARTS Act amends the Copyright Act to allow such a fee waiver for these specific circumstances.

Mr. Speaker, I again applaud Mr. Jeffries and Ms. Mace for bringing forward this important bipartisan legislation, which will aid the next generation of creators and innovators, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 704, the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act, or ARTS Act.

The Constitution authorizes Congress to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.

Our copyright system is designed to help fulfill that mandate by promoting the work of authors, musicians, artists, and other creators. Creative industries contribute hundreds of billion of dollars to the U.S. economy each year.

This bill makes it easier for some of our brightest, young creators to obtain copyrights on their award-winning work. Promoting and encouraging the next generation of American creators ensures that our creative economy will remain strong for decades to come.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 704, the ``Artistic Recognition For Talented Students Act,'' or Arts Act,'' bicameral, bipartisan legislation that directs the Register of Copyrights to waive the filing fee for an application to register a copyright for a student's work that has won the Congressional Art Competition or the Congressional App Challenge.

The Congressional Art Competition (``Art Competition'') and the Congressional App Challenge (``App Challenge'') are annual district-by- district contests that recognize students' achievements in the visual arts and in the science, technology, engineering, and math (``STEM'') fields.

The Art Competition began in 1982 to encourage students' artistic creativity.

High school students are eligible to participate by submitting two- dimensional artwork, which is typically judged by a panel of local artists.

The App Challenge stems from H. Res. 77, adopted in the 113th Congress, which recognized both the importance of STEM achievement to the country and the importance of encouraging students to appreciate and pursue career paths in STEM and established an academic STEM challenge to further those goals.

Middle and high school students are eligible to participate in the App Challenge by creating a software app using any programming language and any platform.

Winners of the Art Competition have their work hung in the Cannon Tunnel for one year, and in the App Challenge, winning apps may be displayed in the Capitol or on the House's website.

H.R. 704 would add another element to the award winners' prizes-- winning students will be able to file an application to register a copyright for their winning artwork or app without paying a filing fee.

H.R. 704's filing fee waiver complements the related aims of both contests by introducing young artists and innovators to the intellectual property system and the benefits of copyright protection.

Intellectual property rights like copyright allow artists and innovators to protect and benefit economically from their work, incentivizing them to continue to pour time and resources into further creations and innovations.

Industries that rely on intellectual property have a significant economic impact and are integral to the U.S. economy.

Despite intellectual property's importance, studies show that students have low awareness of intellectual property, even if they are likely to encounter intellectual property later in their careers.

H.R. 704 helps close this awareness gap early on by introducing students who have shown interest in the arts and STEM to the possibilities of copyright registration and removing the economic barrier for pursuing such registration.

As part of the copyright application process, the winning works may also become a part of the Library of Congress' collections and archives, 75 further spreading the reach of these students' creations.

Under current law, the Register of Copyrights does not have authority to waive filing fees for winning students on her own.

Section 708(a)(1) of the Copyright Act prescribes that fees be paid to the Copyright Office for filing an application for registration of a copyright, and the Register has only limited authority to waive fees involving the United States government.

H.R. 704 amends this section to allow such waivers for the student winners of the Art Competition and App Challenge.

I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 704, ``Artistic Recognition For Talented Students Act,'' or Arts Act.''

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