Chairman Issa Convenes Hearing on Intellectual Property Protections for AI-assisted Creative Works and Inventions

On April 15, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, convened a hearing last week entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property: Part III – IP Protection for AI-Assisted Inventions and Creative Works.”

The hearing, featuring technology specialists and intellectual property experts, examined the potential affording of IP protections for creative works and inventions developed with the assistance of AI technologies. The hearing further centered on the potential of congressional legislation as well as existing regulations promulgated by the U.S. Copyright Office and the Patent and Trademark Office.

“Congress faces the critical task of evaluating patent and copyright law in the age of AI to safeguard the innovation driving US global leadership. In the realm where human ingenuity meets machine assistance, protecting our creations and inventions is paramount,” said Rep. Issa. “Our subcommittee will continue to work in earnest alongside industry experts and leaders to ensure that Congress gets AI protections right.”

See Chairman Issa’s opening remarks here.

Watch the full hearing here.

Issa Resolution Commemorates Centennial of the Consumer Technology Association

On April 17, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), introduced legislation to honor the 100th anniversary of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the trade association representing the $505 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 18 million U.S. jobs.

H. Res. 1144 acknowledges CTA’s milestones, advocacy, and leading contributions toward advancing American technological innovation over the last century. Rep. Issa – a former Chairman of CTA’s predecessor the Consumer Electronics Association – included the following statement:

“For a century, CTA has created and convened the platform and the people who bring the hopes, dreams, and possibilities of technology to life. In every way, the CTA experience has run parallel to America’s never-ending technology revolution, inspiring the best ideas, driving forward new advances, and setting a new and better standard of advocacy all along the way. The CTA legacy isn’t defined by any one thing – it is a structure of core values and fundamental beliefs: The essential human connection, the commitment to competition, using tech for good, staying ahead on the global stage, and allowing technology to provide pioneering solutions to our greatest challenges. I thank the CTA for its partnership and its friendship – and now it’s on to century two,” said Rep. Issa.

The text of the bill can be found here.

Judiciary Committee Approves Issa Bill to Protect Public Access to Industry Codes

On April 18, the Pro Codes Act (H.R. 1631) authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), passed through the House Judiciary Committee.

H.R. 1631, co-led by Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), ensures free public access to technical standards incorporated into law or regulations while protecting the copyrights of the private entities that develop and update these standards. This bill strikes the right balance of ensuring that technical standard organizations (SDOs) maintain copyright protections for the compilation of technical codes and provide accessibility for the public. Under this bill, those who invest in code development will still be able to sell their materials in certain formats so long as they are simultaneously providing public access to the information for free.

“Standards in federal rules and regulations matter, and never more so than when they are at the crossroads of streamlining public access or blocking it,” said Rep. Issa. “The Pro Codes Act harmonizes the need to make our standards accessible with safeguarding the copyrights of those who create these regulations. My thanks to Rep. Ross for her work in our success in the Judiciary Committee.”

“I firmly believe that codes that have been incorporated into law should always be available to the public at no cost,” said Congresswoman Ross. “The Pro Codes Act strikes a critical balance between enabling public access to codes and ensuring copyrights are protected and organizations are properly compensated and incentivized to create and update the standards we need to keep the American people safe and healthy. I thank Congressman Issa for his partnership on this issue, and I am pleased to see this bipartisan legislation advance out of committee today.”

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Issa, Overwhelming House Majority, Pass Antisemitism Awareness Act

On May 2, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) released the following statement in response to House passage of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act.

“The Congress came together yesterday and spoke with a clear and strong voice that told the truth about the recent and widespread rise of antisemitism – history’s oldest hate. But this was more than words; our vote is the setting of a standard that many justifiably thought might not be necessary in the times of today. But after witnessing for more than six months a widespread and growing tide of antisemitism in America – much of it centered on the campuses of our colleges and universities – a bipartisan supermajority of the Congress took appropriate action.”

Congressman Issa Congratulates Winners of 2024 Congressional Art Competition

Standing the Watch by Audrey Norton

ON MAY 8, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) announced that Ramona High School Senior Audrey Norton is the winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 48th District. Audrey’s winning entry is entitled Standing the Watch.

“Audrey’s striking artwork has brought forth a visually captivating piece that truly represents the 48th District. I’m eager for it to be celebrated in our local community and presented in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be on display for the year ahead,” said Rep. Issa.

Audrey’s art instructor is Liz Schaude.

The runner-up submissions include In the Blaze by Murrietta Valley High School Sophomore Hannah Maronde and Looking to the Future by El Capitan High School Junior Natalie Rogers. These pieces will be displayed in Congressman Issa’s offices in Washington, D.C., and Escondido, CA.

In the Blaze by Hannah Maronde

Looking to the Future by Natalie Rogers

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school student art competition to encourage and recognize artistic talent throughout the country. Students from the 48th Congressional District submit entries for consideration and the winning entry is displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Additionally, the winner is invited to a celebratory reception in Washington, D.C.

Issa Co-Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Halt Biden Administration Exercise of “March-in Rights”

On May 10, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, continued spearheading a bipartisan, bicameral initiative to halt the implementation of a Biden Administration proposal that would allow the federal government to exercise march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act and weaken intellectual property to control prescription drug prices.

The proposal, issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), equips the government to “march in” and take intellectual property protections from innovators if certain price conditions are met.

In a joint effort, Issa alongside co-leads Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a comprehensive study on the potential ramifications of NIST’s proposal on American citizens and U.S. innovation in the long-term. Additionally, the authors sent a second letter to NIST urging the postponement of the proposal until GAO completes its study.

An excerpt from the letter to the GAO:

Although the proposed framework was developed with the laudable objective of reducing prescription drug prices, the facts tell a different story. A March 2024 National Bureau of Economic Research empirical study on the feasibility of using Bayh-Dole Act march-in rights to lower drug prices found that NIST’s proposed framework will have limited impact—only 2.5% of all drug products approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 1985 and 2022 could even be subject to full march-in rights. Several studies over the past decade have similarly concluded that successful march-in petitions would do little to lower drug prices.

We are concerned that implementing the draft framework is likely to have negative consequences for U.S. innovation and global competitiveness, the public-private partnerships that the Bayh-Dole Act created, and the U.S. economy. Therefore, we request that you prepare a study on the below questions designed to determine the impact of the draft framework on U.S. prescription drug prices, U.S. innovation, and U.S. national interests.

An excerpt from the letter to the NIST:

As you know, patient-focused advocacy groups, public health groups, universities, and the leading U.S. trade association for generic and biosimilar prescription drug manufacturers all submitted comments to your office opposing the draft framework and raising concerns about its likelihood to undermine U.S. innovation. We also sent a letter to President Biden, with a copy to your office, urging reconsideration of the draft framework, which would undermine initiatives intended to revitalize American manufacturing and hamstring U.S. innovation to the advantage of our competitors and adversaries. Given these concerns, implementing the draft framework without first studying its potential impacts would be unwise. We therefore ask NIST (and the administration) not to implement the draft framework or any other guidance for exercising march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act until GAO completes its study and transmits its findings.

These letters were sent in addition to a February letter the coalition sent to President Biden discouraging the implementation of the proposal.
Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.