WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced a bipartisan resolution yesterday recognizing the month of July as National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month, which highlights the importance of the roles of trademarks in the American economy and in protecting consumer safety. In addition to Senators Coons and Grassley, this resolution is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii).
“Combating counterfeits doesn’t just spur innovation by giving creators faith that their ideas will be protected; it also safeguards trust in our community, ensuring quality and performance, and keeps consumers safe,” said Senator Coons. “As Co-Chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, I’m committed to raising awareness for American consumers of the harms of counterfeit goods and the importance of trademarks to our intellectual property system.”
“Counterfeits violate intellectual property rights, stifle innovation, and threaten consumers’ well-being,” said Senator Grassley. “I’m glad to promote this bipartisan effort to educate Americans on the importance of trademarks and the dangers of unsafe and unreliable knockoffs.”
“Counterfeit products pose a serious risk to inventors, consumers, and our economy,” said Senator Tillis. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this resolution, which recognizes the month of July as National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month. Through educating consumers, we can curb the malign influence of counterfeits in our marketplaces, protect creators from intellectual property theft, and ensure consumers purchase safe and authentic products.”
“The wide dissemination of counterfeit products not only harms our national and state economies; it also does a disservice to the consumers who are spending their hard-earned money to purchase them,” said Senator Hirono. “I’m glad to support this resolution to recognize National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month to bring attention to this issue and educate communities across the country about the risks of counterfeiting and counterfeit products.”
Senator Coons has been a longstanding advocate of protecting U.S. intellectual property rights and protecting the American consumer from counterfeit goods. He introduced the SHOP SAFE Act with Senator Tillis to protect consumers from harmful counterfeit products sold online. As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee, Senator Coons held a hearing on oversight of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last year to ensure U.S. intellectual property laws are being enforced reliably, effectively, and predictably.
Senators Coons and Grassley previously cosponsored a similar resolution last year, and another in the 117th Congress.
Senator Coons is the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus.