WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, yesterday introduced a resolution designating July as the “National Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness” Month, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Lanham Act, which laid the foundation for a modern federal trademark registration system. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, also co-sponsored this resolution.
“Not only are trademarks critical for companies’ ability to grow and create jobs, but they also play an important role in communicating the authenticity and integrity of products and services to customers,” said Senator Coons. “Counterfeit products can put consumers’ health at risk. For example, counterfeit batteries, sometimes featuring fake trademarks, have been linked to increased risks of spontaneous fires—a clear safety hazard if that battery is in a consumer product such as a children’s toy. By designating this month the ‘National Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness’ Month, I hope to foster greater consumer awareness of this problem and the role that intellectual property—here, the trademark system—plays in protecting consumers. I am pleased to have co-sponsored this legislation with Chairman Chuck Grassley, co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, as a bipartisan show of support for the intellectual property infrastructure necessary to support our nation's dynamic economy.”