Pro President Obama Blog

G8 Summit 2013

06/15/2013

Created at the initiative of France in 1975 to address the first oil crisis, the G8 is an informal group of advanced economies, which meets once a year at a Summit of Heads of State and Government. It has essentially a role of guidance and political impetus.

39th G8 United Kingdom Leader’s Meeting

Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

June 17–18, 2013

Host: David Cameron

In January 2013 the UK assumed the one-year Presidency of the G8. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, USA and UK will meet at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland for the G8 Summit 17-18 June.

PM David Cameron is determined to achieve change on three issues which are critical for growth, prosperity and economic development across the world:

advancing trade
ensuring tax compliance
promoting greater transparency

39th G8 UK Leader’s Meeting Photo, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

What is the G8?

Background: G8 2013

G8 agenda – trade, tax, transparency

Nutrition for Growth event

Social Impact Investment Forum

G8 Events

39th G8 UK Fact Sheet

June 17-18, 2013

Remarks by President Obama, U.K. Prime Minister Cameron, European Commission President Barroso, and European Council President Van Rompuy on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Fact Sheet: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

G-8 Leaders Statement on the Global Economy

G-8 Leaders Communique

Lough Erne Declaration

Fact Sheet: U.S. National Action Plan on Preventing the Misuse of Companies and Legal Arrangements

United States G-8 Action Plan for Transparency of Company Ownership and Control

Fact Sheet: The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

Joint Statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict by Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Franсois Hollande, President of the French Republic

G8 UK Website

G8 UK Twitter

G8 UK Flicker

G8 Summit Livestream

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

President Obama’s Travel to the UK and Germany

President Obama and the First Lady look forward to traveling to the United Kingdom and Germany from June 17-19. In both countries, the President will reinforce the importance we place on transatlantic ties, consult on shared security challenges, and discuss the global economy.

The President’s trip will begin in Belfast, where he will engage with the people of Northern Ireland and highlight the hard work, dialogue, and institutional development they have undertaken together. The President will then attend the G-8 Summit at Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, hosted by Prime Minister Cameron, from June 17-18. The Summit and related meetings will provide the President and his fellow world leaders an opportunity to address pressing economic, political, and security challenges around the globe and to promote the advancement of trade and greater transparency among G-8 members and the developing world.

Following the G-8, at the invitation of Chancellor Merkel, the President will travel to Berlin, Germany for an official visit to reaffirm the strong ties between the United States and Germany, our vital ally and economic partner. The President looks forward to meeting with the Chancellor and President Gauck to discuss a wide ange of bilateral and global issues including opportunities to further deepen transatlantic relations.

WhiteHouse.gov Live Stream http://www.whitehouse.gov/live

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President Obama’s Ireland & Germany Itinerary

Sunday, June 16

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha depart for Europe

Monday, June 17

3:40 AM ET
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha arrive in Ireland

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha are welcomed to Northern Ireland

President Obama visits a Enniskillen Integrated primary school
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland

4:30 AM ET
President Obama delivers a speech to the people of Northern Ireland
Belfast Waterfront, Belfast, Northern Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha are welcomed to Moneygall, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha meet with Cousin Henry Healy and Moneygall children and their teachers
Moneygall, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha are welcomed to Dublin, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha tour Trinity College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha visit with embassy staff
Dublin, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha meet with young Dubliners
Dublin, Ireland

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha attend a Riverdance demonstration
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, Ireland

9:30 AM ET
President Obama delivers a EU-US press statement
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

11:20 AM ET
President Obama is greeted by Prime Minister Cameron as a part of the official leader arrivals
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

President Obama attends the plenary sessions
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

1:30 PM ET
President Obama and Russian President Putin hold a bilateral meeting
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

3:30 PM ET
Leaders Working Dinner
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha overnight in Ireland

Tuesday, June 18

President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha tour Wicklow Mountains National Park
Dublin, Ireland

3:30 AM ET
President Obama and other world leaders attend the secondary pleneray sessions
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

5:00 AM ET
G8 leaders for a family photo
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

5:30 AM ET
President Obama attends the third plenary session.
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

8:00 AM ET
President Obama participates in a walk and talk with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom and Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland.
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

8:15 AM ET
Leaders Working Lunch
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

9:00 AM ET
President Obama attends a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President François Hollande of France, Prime Minister Enrico Letta of Italy and Prime Minister Ali Zeidan of Libya.
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

9:30 AM ET
President Obama attends the concluding plenary session.
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

10:40 AM ET
President Obama holds a bilateral meeting with President Hollande.
G8 Summit, Lough Erne Resort, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland

12:30 PM ET
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha depart Ireland for Germany

2:25 PM ET
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha arrive in Berlin, Germany

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha are welcomed to Berlin

President Obama meets German President Gauck
Berlin, Germany

President Obama is hosted at dinner by Germany’s Chancellor Merkel
Chancellory, Berlin, Germany

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha overnight in Berlin, Germany

Wednesday, June 19

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha visit with embassy staff
Berlin, Germany

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha tours the wall park
Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany

First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha tours Reichstag
Berlin, Germany

President Obama meets German President Gauck
Schloss Bellevue, Berlin, Germany

President Obama and Germany’s Chancellor Merkel hold a bilateral meeting
Chancellory, Berlin, Germany

6:30 AM ET
President Obama and Germany’s Chancellor Merkel hold a press conference
Chancellory, Berlin, Germany

President Obama and Germany’s Chancellor Merkel hold a working lunch
Chancellory, Berlin, Germany

President Obama, German President Gauck and Chancellor Merkel hold a bilateral meeting
Berlin, Germany

9:00 AM ET
President Obama delivers an address to the German public
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

President Obama meets President Steinbrueck of the Social Democratic Party
Berlin, Germany

President Obama is hosted at dinner by Germany’s Chancellor Merkel
Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha depart Germany

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha arrive at the White House

92 Comments | Diplomacy, Economy, PBO, Security & Defense | Permalink
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13th Annual LGBT Pride Month

06/12/2013

LGBT Pride Month

The month of June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, many pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBT people have had in the world. Brenda Howard is known as the “Mother of Pride”, for her work in coordinating the first LGBT Pride march, and she also originated the idea for a week-long series of events around Pride Day which became the genesis of the annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world every June. Additionally, Howard along with fellow LGBT rights activists Robert A. Martin (aka Donny the Punk) and L. Craig Schoonmakerare credited with popularizing the word “Pride” to describe these festivities. As LGBT rights activist Tom Limoncelli put it, “The next time someone asks you why LGBT Pride marches exist or why [LGBT] Pride Month is June tell them ‘A bisexual woman named Brenda Howard thought it should be.’”

On five occasions, the President of the United States has officially declared a Pride Month. First, President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month” on June 2, 2000. Then, in 2009, 2010,2011, and 2012, President Barack Obama declared June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_Pride_Month#LGBT_Pride_Month

May 31, 2013

Presidential Proclamation — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2013

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2013

- – - – - – -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For more than two centuries, our Nation has struggled to transform the ideals of liberty and equality from founding promise into lasting reality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their allies have been hard at work on the next great chapter of that history — from the patrons of The Stonewall Inn who sparked a movement to service members who can finally be honest about who they love to brave young people who come out and speak out every day.

This year, we celebrate LGBT Pride Month at a moment of great hope and progress, recognizing that more needs to be done. Support for LGBT equality is growing, led by a generation which understands that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In the past year, for the first time, voters in multiple States affirmed marriage equality for same-sex couples. State and local governments have taken important steps to provide much-needed protections for transgender Americans.

My Administration is a proud partner in the journey toward LGBT equality. We extended hate crimes protections to include attacks based on sexual orientation or gender identity and repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” We lifted the HIV entry ban and ensured hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients. Together, we have investigated and addressed pervasive bullying faced by LGBT students, prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Federal housing, and extended benefits for same-sex domestic partners. Earlier this year, I signed a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the implementation of any VAWA-funded program. And because LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration is implementing the first-ever Federal strategy to advance equality for LGBT people around the world.

We have witnessed real and lasting change, but our work is not complete. I continue to support a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well as the Respect for Marriage Act. My Administration continues to implement the Affordable Care Act, which beginning in 2014, prohibits insurers from denying coverage to consumers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which addresses the disparate impact of the HIV epidemic among certain LGBT sub-communities. We have a long way to go, but if we continue on this path together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to coast, all of our young people will look to the future with the same sense of promise and possibility. I am confident because I have seen the talent, passion, and commitment of LGBT advocates and their allies, and I know that when voices are joined in common purpose, they cannot be stopped.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2013 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Obama administration urges U.S. Supreme Court to strike down DOMA

‘Gay and lesbian people have been subject to a significant history of discrimination in this country’

February 22, 2013 lgbtqnation Staff Reports

The Obama administration on Friday filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing why it considers the federal Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional.

Filed in United States v. Windsor, a case challenging Section 3 of DOMA, the administration said “gay and lesbian people have been subject to a significant history of discrimination in this country,” and argued that laws targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation should face additional scrutiny by courts reviewing them.

In the brief, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli asked the court to uphold a federal appeals court ruling that found DOMA to be unconstitutional:

Section 3 of DOMA violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The law denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to legally married opposite-sex couples. Because this discrimination cannot be justified as substantially furthering any important governmental interest, Section 3 is unconstitutional.

This case deals with Edith Windsor, who was forced to pay $363,000 in estate taxes in 2009 upon the death of her spouse, Thea Spyer. The two had lived as a couple for 44 years and married in Canada in 2007. Because her decades-long partner was a woman, the federal government did not recognize the same-sex marriage in legal terms, even though their home state of New York did.

Section 3 of DOMA, which bars legally married same-sex couples from any federal benefits or programs based on marriage, has been found unconstitutional in eight federal courts, including the First and Second Circuit Court of Appeals, on issues including bankruptcy, public employee benefits, estate taxes, and immigration.

The brief also mentions Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage, and similar measures in other states as evidence of continued discrimination against gays and lesbians.

For more: http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/02/obama-administration-urges-u-s-surpeme-court-to-strike-down-doma/

54 Comments | Civil Rights, PBO | Tagged: Civil Rights, PBO | Permalink
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Medgar Evers – Civil Rights Hero

06/11/2013

USNS MEDGAR EVERS (T-AKE 13)

Medgar Evers and the Origin of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi

By Dernoral Davis – MShistorynow

Mississippi became a major theatre of struggle during the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century because of its resistance to equal rights for its black citizens. Between 1952 and 1963, Medgar Wiley Evers was one of the state’s most impassioned activist, orator, and visionary for change. He fought for equality and fought against brutality.

Born July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi, Medgar was one of four children born to James and Jesse Evers. His father worked in a sawmill and his mother was a laundress. Evers’s childhood was typical in many ways of black youths who grew up in the Jim Crow South during the Great Depression of the 1930s and in the years preceding World War II. As a youth, Evers’s parents showered him with love and affection, taught him family values, and routinely disciplined him when needed. The Evers home emphasized education, religion, and hard work.

For more: http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/53/medgar-evers-and-the-origin-of-the-civil-rights-movement-in-mississippi

Honoring Our Civil Rights Heroes

Valerie Jarrett June 04, 2013 07:06 PM EDT

Fifty years ago, America was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Countless men and women demonstrated, protested, sacrificed, and bled for their right to be treated equally. In the last two weeks, we remembered a few of these heroes at the White House.

Today, President Obama visited with Myrlie Evers-Williams, a civil rights heroine and widow of Medgar Evers, and other members of the Evers family, to commemorate Medgar Evers’ life and contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. President Obama said during the visit that Medgar Evers was a warrior for justice, and the tragedy of his death turned into a rallying cry for a movement.

Fifty years ago, on June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was shot and killed in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi.

After serving in World War II, Evers returned to Mississippi and dedicated his life to the pursuit of civil rights and equality in the South. He became the NAACP’s first Field Secretary for Mississippi, where he organized boycotts of businesses that denied basic services to African Americans, and he fought for school integration. The murder of Medgar Evers, and resulting trial, inspired civil rights protests across the nation. Evers is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and, after more than 30 years, his killer was finally brought to justice in 1994.

For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/04/honoring-our-civil-rights-heroes

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Equal Pay Act of 1963 – 50th Anniversary

06/09/2013

The Equal Pay Act of 1963, Pub. L. No. 88-38 Stat. 77 Stat. 56, is a United States federal law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex (see Gender pay gap). It was signed into law on June 10, 1963 by John F. Kennedy as part of his New Frontier Program. In passing the bill, Congress denounces sex discrimination for the following reasons:

It depresses wages and living standards for employees necessary for their health and efficiency;
it prevents the maximum utilization of the available labor resources
it tends to cause labor disputes, thereby burdening, affecting, and obstructing commerce;
it burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; and
it constitutes an unfair method of competition.

The law provides (in part) that:

No employer having employees subject to any provisions of this section [section 206 of title 29 of the United States Code] shall discriminate, within any establishment in which such employees are employed, between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to employees of the opposite sex in such establishment for equal work on jobs[,] the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions, except where such payment is made pursuant to (i) a seniority system; (ii) a merit system; (iii) a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (iv) a differential based on any other factor other than sex [ . . . .

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Pay_Act_of_1963

The Paycheck Fairness Act is legislation twice introduced and twice rejected by the United States Congress to expand the scope of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Fair Labor Standards Act as part of an effort to address male–female income disparity in the United States. A Census Bureau report published in 2008 indicated that women’s median annual earnings were 77.5% of men’s earnings, a disparity attributed to both systematic discrimination against women and women’s lifestyle choices.

The House of Representatives approved the bill in January 2009. The United States Senate failed to move the bill forward in November 2010. President Barack Obama said in March 2011 that he will continue to fight for the goals in the Paycheck Fairness Act. The bill was reintroduced in both houses of Congress in April 2011.

The 2010 bill had no Republican Party co-sponsors, though a group of four Republican senators had supported an earlier bill to address gender-based wage discrimination, including Susan Collins, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Lisa Murkowski and Olympia Snowe. On June 5th, 2012 the bill fell short of the 60 votes necessary to override a filibuster and did not make it to the Senate floor for debate. The vote went along party lines, excluding a vote against by Democrat Harry Reid. (A vote which left Democrats the option to introduce the bill again at a later time.)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paycheck_Fairness_Act

Paycheck Fairness Act Vote Blocked By House GOP

4/11/2013 4:56 pm EDT Laura Bassett – huffingtonpost

House GOP leadership is not likely to bring the Paycheck Fairness Act up for a vote any time soon, but House Democrats used a procedural move to force them to go on record opposing the bill on Thursday.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the sponsor of the equal pay legislation, filed a discharge petition on the bill Thursday morning that would immediately force a vote on it if she could collect 218 signatures. Democrats also put forth a motion on Thursday known as the “Previous Question,” which would have enabled them to put the Paycheck Fairness Act up for a vote, but Republicans killed the effort by a vote of 226 to 192.

Recent Census Bureau data shows that full-time working women make 77 cents for every dollar men make per year. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which DeLauro has introduced in eight consecutive Congresses, would expand the Equal Pay Act to close certain loopholes and allow employees to share salary information with their coworkers. It would also require employers to show that pay disparities between their male and female employees are related to job performance, not gender.

Most Republicans oppose the bill, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said on the House Floor Thursday afternoon that the bill is a “liberal plot” to perpetuate the narrative that Republicans are anti-woman. DeLauro countered that she has yet to hear a reasonable excuse for Republicans to oppose the bill.

“I think we’re looking at a group of people who either don’t believe there is a pay gap or who just want to be contrary,” DeLauro told HuffPost in a phone interview. “This bill isn’t a liberal plot. We have enough statistical information to demonstrate that no matter what the job is, whether you’re a waitress or bus driver or civil engineer, women are paid less money.”

Every Republican that was present for the vote on Thursday voted against the motion to bring the bill up for a vote, so DeLauro is unlikely to get the number of signatures she needs for her discharge petition. But she said she has managed to drum up bipartisan support for the bill in the past, and she is going to continue to work on her Republican colleagues this session.

For more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/paycheck-fairness-act_n_3063804.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Closing the Equal Pay Gap: 50 Years and Counting

by LATIFA LYLES on APRIL 9, 2013 ·

Today, April 9, represents the day in 2013 that women finally make up the difference in wages paid to their male counterparts during 2012. That’s right: Women have to work almost four more months than men in the same jobs to bring home the same amount of income.

Equal pay for equal work is, and should always have been, common sense. But in 2013 − 50 years after the signing of the Equal Pay Act − true parity is still elusive even though women currently make up nearly half the workforce and their earnings account for a significant portion of household income.

By one measure, the gap stands at about 18 cents difference per dollar, a figure based on an approach that uses weekly earnings data. The most common estimate is based on differences in annual earnings, about 23 cents per dollar. Whichever figure you look at, what’s truly troubling is that when women start at a disadvantage, they stay at a disadvantage. Over the course of a woman’s career, those lost wages can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For women of color, the wage gap is even larger.

For millions of working women, the gap means less income to pay for necessities like housing, clothes and food. It’s less income to pay for their children’s education. And it’s less to go toward retirement. All of these reasons make equal pay more than just a women’s issue; it impacts families, communities − the whole economy.

Some people say that the pay gap is a myth, or it can be explained away entirely. But the reality is that it persists, even when other factors are accounted for. That’s why our work to inform employers about impact of pay inequality, and our efforts to equip working women with the tools they need to access accurate information about pay, is so critical.

To help accomplish this, we’ve created brochures to educate employees about their rights under the existing equal pay laws and enable employers to understand their obligations. To meet the diverse needs of today’s workforce, we translated the brochures into Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and French. With the help of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we also updated fact sheets that highlight women’s earnings nationally and by region. Additionally, we hosted a competition last year to develop smartphone apps to empower women to stand up for their right to equal pay.

For more: http://social.dol.gov/blog/closing-the-equal-pay-gap-50-years-and-counting/

June 04, 2012

FACT SHEET: Fighting for Equal Pay and the Paycheck Fairness Act

Today, the President continues to advocate for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a comprehensive bill that strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. The Paycheck Fairness Act is commonsense legislation that, among other things, would achieve the following:

Better align key Equal Pay Act defenses with those in Title VII.
Bring remedies available under the Equal Pay Act into line with remedies available under other civil rights laws.
Make the requirements for class action lawsuits under the Equal Pay Act match those of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Protect employees who share their own salary information at work from retaliation by an employer.

The existing legal tools available to remedy pay discrimination are not enough, so Congress needs to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act now.

For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/04/fact-sheet-fighting-equal-pay-and-paycheck-fairness-act

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US-China Sunnylands Meeting 2013

06/06/2013

June 7-8, 2013

President Obama meets with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage, CA

President Obama and President Xi will hold in depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues. They will review progress and challengesin U.S.-China relations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance cooperation, while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead.

美中国Sunnylands会议2013

Friday, June 7

President Obama and President Xi hold a bilateral meeting

President Obama and President Xi hold a press conference

President Obama and President Xi hold a working dinner

Saturday, June 8

President Obama and President Xi hold an informal meeting

President Obama and President Xi hold a bilateral meeting

President Obama and President Xi conclude their Sunnylands meetings

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Patent Trolls

06/04/2013

Taking on Patent Trolls to Protect American Innovation

Gene Sperling June 04, 2013 01:55 PM EDT

Our patent system — as enshrined in our Constitution — is meant to encourage innovation and invention. It was designed to reward Americans for their hard work, risk-taking and genius. It has spurred progress that has driven economic growth and transformed the way we live, work, communicate, and stay healthy. But in recent years, there has been an explosion of abusive patent litigation designed not to reward innovation and enforce intellectual property, but to threaten companies in order to extract settlements based on questionable claims.

There are a growing number of companies, commonly called “patent trolls,” who employ these litigation tactics as a business model — costing the economy billions of dollars and undermining American innovation. In the last two years, the number of lawsuits brought by patent trolls has nearly tripled, and account for 62% of all patent lawsuits in America. All told, the victims of patent trolls paid $29 billion in 2011, a 400% increase from 2005 — not to mention tens of billions dollars more in lost shareholder value.

Today we are releasing a study on the issue that documents the significant toll this issue is taking on our economy and on innovation, and we are excited to announce both Executive actions the Obama Administration is taking, and the legislative measures that we are calling on Congress to pass to protect American innovators.

Last February during his Fireside Hangout, the President explained that patent trolls (known more formally as Patent Assertion Entities, or PAEs) “don’t actually produce anything themselves. They’re just trying to essentially leverage and hijack somebody else’s idea and see if they can extort some money out of them.” This type of abusive patent litigation is a major problem.

It’s also important to know what we’re not talking about here. We aren’t trying to make it harder to pursue legitimate intellectual property rights, or vigorously defend valid patents. Indeed, the United States has the best intellectual property protections in the world, and our system rightly ensures that these innovators are compensated for their creativity. The problem is when rogue companies make a business model out of exploiting and abusing the system, using it not to protect invention but to bring frivolous lawsuits to extract settlements from companies trying to serve American consumers. Bad patents in the system (such as those issued with broad or vague language) only compound the problem, and the issue extends far beyond any one industry.

This is a problem we’re hearing a lot about, from multinational corporations and venture capitalists to garage innovators and small-town café owners. Businesses of any size are vulnerable to these tactics, whether you’re a software giant designing complex applications or a mom-and-pop store using a technology product you purchased over the counter.

How big of a problem are patent trolls? Consider this: last year we estimate that patent trolls sent out over 100,000 demand letters, threatening everyone from Fortune 500 companies to corner coffee shops and even regular consumers to pay a settlement or face a day in court. The number of these suits has exploded in recent years.

For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/04/taking-patent-trolls-protect-american-innovation

June 04, 2013

Fact Sheet: White House Task Force on High-Tech Patent Issues

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES & EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

Today the White House announced major steps to improve incentives for future innovation in high tech patents, a key driver of economic growth and good paying American jobs. The White House issued five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations designed to protect innovators from frivolous litigation and ensure the highest-quality patents in our system. Additionally, the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, Patent Assertion and U.S. Innovation, detailing the challenges posed and necessity for bold legislative action.

In 2011, the President signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to help make our patent system more efficient and reliable. As technology evolves more rapidly than ever, we must ensure our patent system keeps pace. As President Obama said in February, “our efforts at patent reform only went about halfway to where we need to go. What we need to do is pull together additional stakeholders and see if we can build some additional consensus on smarter patent laws.”

The AIA put in place new mechanisms for post-grant review of patents and other reforms to boost patent quality. Meanwhile, court decisions clarifying the scope of patentability and guidelines implementing these decisions diminish the opportunity to game the patent and litigation systems. Nevertheless, innovators continue to face challenges from Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs), companies that, in the President’s words “don’t actually produce anything themselves,” and instead develop a business model “to essentially leverage and hijack somebody else’s idea and see if they can extort some money out of them.” These entities are commonly known as “patent trolls.” Likewise, the so-called “Smartphone Patent Wars” have ballooned in recent years and today, several major companies spend more on patent litigation and defensive acquisition than on research and development.

Stopping this drain on the American economy will require swift legislative action, and we are encouraged by the attention the issue is receiving in recent weeks. We stand ready to work with Congress on these issues crucial to our economy, American jobs, and innovation. While no single law or policy can address all these issues, much can and should be done to increase clarity and level the playing field for innovators.

For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/04/fact-sheet-white-house-task-force-high-tech-patent-issues

60 Comments | Economy, PBO | Tagged: Econo, PBO | Permalink
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