INTA Co-Hosts Briefing on the Effects of Counterfeiting on Consumers, Brand Owners, and the Economy

INTA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center on September 27, co-hosted a high-level briefing and dialogue in cooperation with the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Trademark Caucus (CTC). The briefing, which focused on anticounterfeiting issues currently being examined in the U.S. Congress, took place at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.

The CTC’s mission is to unite the private sector, consumer groups, and government stakeholders around important trademark issues that negatively impact consumers, brand owners, U.S. economic growth, and national security in a bicameral, bipartisan manner. In accordance with this aim, and as an illustration of the strong bipartisan support and interest in these issues, Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL-22nd) and Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL-2nd), who serve as House Co-Chairs of the CTC and members of the House Judiciary Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee, kicked off the briefing by noting their immense concern for the direct harms that the buying, selling, and use of counterfeit goods cause to consumers, the U.S. economy, and national security.

Representatives Deutch and Roby stated their steadfast dedication and interest in working with the stakeholder community, including the public and private sectors and consumer groups, to help decrease the sale and use of counterfeit products in the global marketplace.

Briefing attendees also had the opportunity to hear from a high-level U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, who emphasized the serious focus of the Administration to collectively address the pervasive counterfeiting issues that plague legitimate brand owners and negatively impact consumers who seek to purchase trademark-branded products and services they know and trust.

The briefing also included an engaging panel discussion featuring several business representatives, including INTA member Tara Steketee (Merck & Co., USA). INTA Director of Government Relations Jennifer McDowell led a robust question-and-answer session among attendees, including a number of key Congressional committee staff.

The briefing provided a unique opportunity for a bicameral, bipartisan Congressional audience to hear from experts in the counterfeiting and e-commerce space, and to discuss key actions the federal government, Congress, and the private sector are taking to reduce the presence and impact of counterfeits in the global marketplace, including online. These discussions are in alignment with the direction outlined in the April 3, 2019, Presidential Memorandum on Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods.

Moreover, the briefing provided an opportunity to more closely examine critical counterfeiting issues highlighted in the July 18, 2019, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Hearing titled: Counterfeits and Cluttering: Emerging Threats to the Integrity of the Trademark System and the Impact on American Consumers and Businesses.

INTA’s Washington, D.C. Office government relations team in collaboration with the Association’s relevant committee leadership is laser-focused in its continuing efforts to work with the CTC to elevate the profile and visibility of trademark counterfeiting and consumer protection issues within the Congress, the Administration, and among other key stakeholders.

INTA’s Washington, D.C. Representative Office represents the Association’s 2,361 members in North America. Working in collaboration with staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City, the Washington, D.C, Representative Office leads the Association’s policy, membership, marketing, and communications initiatives in Canada and the United States. To learn more about INTA’s activities in the region, please contact INTA Director of Government Relations Jennifer McDowell at [email protected].

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