HOW UNITED STATES COMPANIES CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE GENEVA ACT OF THE HAGUE AGREEMENT RATIFICATION PROCESS

Companies that are interested in using the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement will have a major influence on how fast the Geneva Act is ratified by the Senate. Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that must approve the treaty should be contacted, particularly the new Chair, who will be Senator Biden. While the Senate is in transition from Republican to Democratic control, and afterward, both staffs should be contacts. Other members of Congress who may be supportive of the need for the Geneva Act and they can be asked to contact Senator Biden.

The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) will be the guiding hand on the intellectual property law and procedural aspects of the Geneva Act in presenting it to the Senate. The PTO needs to know which companies are in support of the treaty. Companies and supportive organizations should contact the PTO also. strate interest in the treaty is the United States State Department. It has an IP section, where the report that accompanied the treaty was prepared. This office keeps track of the activities in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the treaty and takes note of companies and others who call about the status of the treaty. After the President's submits a treaty the State Department is not directly involved in the Congressional process, but it remains as an advisor. It can report to the PTO and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on calls received concerning a treaty.

At some point there will be hearings in the Senate on the treaty, and in both Houses of Congress on related legislation. The PTO needs to know who will be willing to testify at these hearings. A company's real world experiences with design piracy and foreign protection of industrial designs are key inputs for the Congress.

The contact information that will need updated periodically is as follows:
 

SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

110th Congress
 

Chairman, Joseph R. Biden
Tel. 202-224-4651
 

Ranking Member, Richard E..Lugar
Tel. 202-224-6797

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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

Jonathan W. Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director
Tel. 571-272-8600

Ms. Lois E. Boland, Head,  Office of Exterma Affairs
Tel. 571-272-9300
 

UNITED STATE DEPARTMENT

John J. Kim, Assistant Legal Advisor for Treaty Affairs
Tel. 202-647-1660
 
 

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This page was last updated on June 14, 2007

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