(Washington, D.C.)  The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) praised today’s introduction of legislation to repeal Section 211 of the 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act.  Section 211 prohibits U.S. courts from enforcing rights to certain Cuban-origin trademarks.

“This special interest provision was found to be in violation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in January, 2002 because it denies trademark holders access to the U.S. court system,” CCAGW President Thomas A. Schatz said.  “Section 211 is long overdue for repeal.”

The U.S.-Cuba Trademark Protection Act of 2003, introduced by Reps. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), William Delahunt (D-Mass.), Amo Houghton, Jr. (R-N.Y.), Robert Matsui (D-Calif.), Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), and endorsed by CCAGW, restores the jurisdiction of the federal courts to enforce rights to foreign-origin trademarks based upon intellectual property treaties and U.S. domestic laws in order to return to the status quo prior to the adoption of Section 211.

“This bipartisan legislation promotes global intellectual property rights protections by ensuring that both the Republic of Cuba and the United States comply with their obligations under international trademark agreements and understandings,” Schatz said.  “Timely passage of this legislation will help restore U.S. credibility during this critical period in the trade negotiating arena and it will also protect American trademark rights from Fidel Castro’s unpredictable behavior.

“Section 211 exposes Americans to the hidden tax burdens of a potential trade war.  The longer it remains in place the more likely it will be to trigger the kind of trade sanctions that raise the prices on all manner of goods and services.  It is time for lawmakers in Washington to stop this tax increase by any other name in its tracks, and repeal Section 211,” Schatz concluded.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.