From Senator Burns' press release: "U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) included language today in the Senate version of the Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations Bill that would forbid the usage of any federal dollars to trademark the phrase 'Last Best Place.' Burns, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, included the provision after a controversial attempt by a Nevada businessman to trademark the phrase so commonly used to describe Montana.
"'If anyone has ownership rights, it’s the citizens of Montana,' said Burns. 'This phrase so aptly describes our beautiful state, I can’t see it going into the hands of one operator. Now with this paragraph, the phrase will be protected from a trademark so we can all continue to call our State the 'Last Best Place without concern for copyright violations. It’s nonsense to try to secure the rights to it in the first place'."
Senator Burns introduced Senate Amendment 1675 to House Bill 2862, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (for 2006). The amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent on Friday.
The text of the amendment appears on page S9873 of the Congressional Record:
AMENDMENT NO. 1675
At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following:
"Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no funds appropriated under this act shall be used to register, issue, transfer, or enforce any trademark of the phrase 'Last Best Place'."
Source: "Burns tries to block claims to 'Last Best'." Missoulian September 9, 2005. A1.
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