Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S. 2407
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. CAMPBELL:
S. 2407. A bill to clarify the intellectual property rights of the United States Olympic Committee; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am introducing an amendment to the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act that will serve to protect the limited resources available to the United States Olympic Committee ("USOC") to support America's Olympic athletes. This amendment would not expand the protections afforded to the USOC under existing law, but would clarify the broad scope of the existing statutory language that guarantees the USOC's exclusive right to commercial use of Olympic marks and terminology in the United States. Congress originally granted these rights to the USOC so that the USOC, through its licensing and sponsorship program, would have the ability to raise funds privately to support United States athletes and programs. Unauthorized use of Olympic marks and terminology by third parties dilutes the value of these marks and terminology and diminishes the USOC's ability to fulfill the mission mandated by Congress. This amendment will help ensure that the USOC can devote more of its resources to assisting athletes as opposed to funding legal actions necessary to prevent foreign or domestic entities from circumventing the broad statutory rights granted to the USOC.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
S. 2407
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 "Support Our Olympic Athletes Act of 2004".
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE.
Chapter 2205 of title 36, United States Code (commonly referred to as the "Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act"), is amended in section 220506©(3) by inserting "the words 'Olympik', 'Olympick', 'Olympika', 'Olympicka', 'Olympica', or 'Olympikus'," after "the words described in subsection (a)(4) of this section,".