HOUSE PASSES COBLE’S ANTI-COUNTERFEITING BILL
Washington,
Sep 28 -
Meeting over the weekend to debate a financial-sector recovery bill, the House also voted Sunday to approve legislation coauthored by U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) to thwart the growing threat of counterfeit goods, particularly harmful to the furniture and textile industries. The House voted 381-41 to approve S. 3325, which was a companion bill to H.R. 4279, named the “Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act” or PRO-IP, authored by Congressman Coble and others.
“Every year our economy loses an excess of $200 billion to counterfeiting,” Rep. Coble said on the House floor Saturday afternoon when the bill was debated. “This has directly impacted many American businesses, particularly the furniture and textile industries that employ so many of my constituents. Today, counterfeiting has grown into a global and illicit black market trade.”
Coble, the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee that has oversight of the nation’s copyright and trademark laws, said that while counterfeit goods undermine legitimate businesses in America, they also pose a serious threat to the health and safety of our consumers. “While some people may scoff at counterfeit goods as innocuous,” Coble added, “the reality is that many such goods pose a very serious threat to often unsuspecting consumers. The prospect of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, mechanical parts and substandard products intended for use by children should strike fear in everyone. For far too long, this illicit trade has grown here in America, virtually unabated. Now our government has recognized the threats and has begun to take them seriously. Our law enforcement has focused available resources and government agencies have instituted initiatives that prioritize intellectual property rights enforcement higher than before.”
Rep. Coble said that the PRO-IP bill will help our government address counterfeiting from two perspectives. “First, from an organizational perspective,” Coble stated, “it creates an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in the Executive Office of the President to oversee interagency anti-counterfeiting efforts. This person will be responsible for making intellectual property rights a priority for every arm of our government and ensuring that government works efficiently to unearth counterfeit goods and apprehend distributors. Second, from an enforcement perspective, it authorizes funding for state and local anti-counterfeiting efforts and for the Justice Department to create and implement a long range anti-counterfeiting enforcement plan and provides new resources for IP and computer-related criminal prosecutions and investigations by the department and the FBI.”
Coble noted that the PRO-IP bill (H.R. 4279) that was written by the House Judiciary committee passed the House by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 410-11 on May 8, 2008. “I cannot convey the full implications that counterfeit goods have had on Sixth Congressional District,” Rep. Coble added, “which is home to the furniture capital of the world. We pride ourselves on workmanship and quality. But even the furniture market is vulnerable to knock-offs and counterfeits. The enactment of the PRO-IP is an important step in improving our response to this illicit trade.”
The Senate approved S. 3325 on Friday by unanimous consent. The legislation will now go to President Bush for his signature.
