ANDREWS AMENDMENT STOPS ABUSE OF TOY MODEL INDUSTRY

In this year’s Defense Authorization bill, I successfully introduced an amendment that would protect small toy model companies from paying licensing fees to huge, multi-billion dollar defense companies.  This bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

For decades the modeling industry, which makes replicas of American military hardware for kids and hobbyists across the world, has happily coexisted with the large defense contractors that make the actual tanks, aircraft and ships for our armed forces.  Recently, these contractors have begun requiring licensing and fee payments from model manufacturers, distributors, and merchants for the use of the likenesses and designations of military hardware paid for with our tax dollars.

These huge companies should not be able to force small businesses to pay these fees.  I feel strongly that the likenesses and designation of military aircraft, tanks, and other vehicles constructed with taxpayer dollars are part of the public domain.  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to uphold this amendment in the final version of this bill. 

Return to the Washington Updates Page