WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Senator Chris Coons, Congressman J. Randy Forbes and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene have relaunched the Congressional Trademark Caucus in an effort to support the vital role trademarks and legitimate Internet website domain names play in the U.S. economy.
“The Congressional Trademark Caucus can help educate members of the House and Senate, as well our constituents, about the valuable role trademarks play in the global marketplace. The Caucus will be focusing on a number of items to increase awareness and foster public dialogue about the value trademarks have in our economy and the risks associated with counterfeit goods. Consumers should know the dangers of purchasing fake and potentially unsafe products,” Grassley said.
“Trademarks are a bedrock of our economy and one of the critical ways in which American companies distinguish themselves from competing products around the world,” said Coons. “When our trademarks are open to attack, our economy and national security are put at real risk. The Congressional Trademark Caucus will work hard in both the House and the Senate to build support among policymakers and consumers for protecting our trademarks and fighting against intellectual property theft.”
“Protecting American trademark holders not only impacts consumer safety, but also the economic well-being and national security of our country,” Forbes said. “As a member of both the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, I am acutely aware of the ripple effects that trademark counterfeiting and infringement have across industry lines, and the concerted efforts necessary to protect American consumers by curtailing counterfeit products entering the U.S. I am pleased to join my fellow Co-Chairs in taking a leadership role in shaping policy to combat trademark counterfeiting, and ensuring the United States remains both competitive and secure.”
“Trademark counterfeiting and Internet domain name theft activity is a threat to our economy and national security, and it cannot be ignored. It damages brand owners large and small, posing health and safety threats to consumers,” DelBene said. “As a member of the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow Co-Chairs to broaden the focus on trademark counterfeiting efforts across industry sectors and to make it a priority for policymakers to focus on the serious harm trademark counterfeit products pose to the health and safety of American consumers.”
The caucus is looking to support congressional committees with jurisdiction over trademark Intellectual property, with special attention to consumer issues; help increase awareness among Congress, the media and the public about trademarks’ importance to global commerce; play a role in creating public policy dialogues on the responsibilities of state and federal governments and brand owners in decreasing the presence of counterfeit goods in the marketplace; and highlight trademark protection in discussions between the U.S. and other nations and world governing bodies.
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