HMA, Hobby Manufacturers Association, Model Hobby Industry

HMA—Hobby Manufacturers Association
Legislative Alert

The Hobby Manufacturers Association needs your help!

January 2007 - Update on The Military Toy Replica Act. Congressman Andrews will be re-introducing the Military Toy Replica Act. Read more on what you can do to help!

July 2006 - Congressman Andrews' office has been busy over the last month contacting Congressional colleagues in order to obtain co-sponsors for HR 607, The Military Toy Replica Act. As of now he has a handful of Representatives who have signed on with him, and together they have all signed a letter that Andrews' office composed and distributed to the House Armed Services Committee members. This is the committee which will finalize the 2007 Defense Bill.

Click here to see Congressmen Andrews' Actual Bill
he presented to Congress!

TALKING POINTS ON THE
"MILITARY TOY REPLICA ACT"

Congressman Andrews' Bill would require the Department of Defense to include a provision in their contracts with all defense contractors prohibiting them from requiring licenses and fees from businesses that manufacture, distribute or sell models and model kits. The entire article is here!

Click here to see the letter written to Congress!

Now that both the House and the Senate have completed their work to vote on their own versions of the 2007 Defense Bill, the Bill goes to the "conference committee." The committee includes designated members of Congress, both Senators and members of the House, who will discuss both versions of the Defense Bill, decide what amendments stay and which do not, and then agree on a final bill to go to the President to sign. As you know, HR 607 is in the House version, but not the Senate version. This does not mean HR 607 will not be included in the final Bill, it just means it needs to be brought up and discussed. This occurred during the week of July 24, 2006 and the first part of the Conference was chaired by Sen John Warner of Virginia, Chairman of the HAS C. In a surprising turn of events, Senator Warner related stories about the model train his father bought him which still sits on his office desk. He also advised that he was an avid model builder in his youth and that his experience with model hobbies played a large role in his decision to join the Navy.

Senator Warner agreed to discuss the issue further, and we are very grateful for his personal interest in HR 607 and the scale model kit industry. In order to show our appreciation to Senator Warner, Congressman Andrews' office asks that anyone in the hobby industry located in Virginia call Warner's Washington office at (202) 224-2023, ask for the liaison in charge of military affairs, and voice support for HR 607. This will help ensure the continued interest of Senator Warner to retain HR 607, The Military Toy Replica Act, in the 2007 Defense Bill.

Download the above Legislative Alert

Hobby manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors, and consumers alike, this is a CALL FOR ACTION! Contact your elected Congressional Representative without delay to urge them to support House Bill 607, Military Toy Replica Act. Passage of this bill will "prohibit defense contractors from requiring licenses of fees for use of military likenesses or designation." It will specifically provide exemptions for U.S.-based hobby and toy companies involved in the development, marketing, and sale of assembled or unassembled replicas of U.S. military hardware. Contact your reps at:

www.house.gov
www.senate.gov

For more than fifty years, military aircraft, ships, and vehicle design and designations have been in the public domain and free from licensing restraints as the actual subjects were contracted and fully funded by the U.S. Government on behalf of the U.S. citizenry.
Recently, major U.S. Defense contractors or their designated licensing agents have begun programs to appropriate these federally-assigned type designations (i.e. P-51, P-38, B-17, B-52), associated names (i.e. "Mustang", "Lightning", "Flying Fortress", "Stratofortress"), and likenesses into intellectual property for corporate gain through royalty income from readily-recognized names and likenesses.

FAILURE to pass H. B. 607 will have the following negative effects:

1.) Increase product costs at all levels of distribution

2.) Reduce access to a wide variety of available product as low-volume subjects will be deleted or eliminated as they will no longer be financially viable.

3.) Significantly increase new product development cycles and costs due to the unwarranted burden of new licensing requirements.

Protect your access to your national military heritage!! Protect your access to scale replicas of military aircraft, vessels, and vehicles that have been funded by the U.S. Government with taypayer dollars. Contact your elected Congressional Representative without delay and urge them to pass House Bill 607!!!

Do your part to stop this unwarranted misappropraition of our nation's military history!!

To read Congressman Robert Andrews (R-NJ1) article on the importance of this legislation, click here and dowload this article.

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