WASHINGTON, DC - US President George W. Bush signed on October 13, 2008 the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO-IP) Act, a press release by the White House stated.
This legislation helps protect the rights of America's consumers, workers, and entrepreneurs by strengthening both our civil and criminal laws against counterfeiting and piracy.
Specifically, the Act increases statutory damage awards in civil counterfeiting cases, it strengthens remedies available in the prosecution of criminal cases involving counterfeiting and piracy, it enhances resources (personnel, training, and equipment) for Department of Justice programs that combat IP theft, and makes permanent the Administration’s Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) Initiative and its inter-agency IP coordination efforts.
The PRO-IP Act protects the work of American innovators, strengthens the rule of law, and will help keep American families safe.
Counterfeiting hurts businesses, innovators, workers, consumers, government and the national security. In recent years, counterfeiting has grown rapidly. Counterfeiting costs America hundreds of billions of dollars a year and has harmful effects throughout the economy.
Fake products can expose consumers to serious health and safety risks. Government loses out on tax revenues and is forced to divert law enforcement resources. Terrorist networks use counterfeit sales to finance their operations.
The Administration is protecting IP with a bold initiative called STOP! – The Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy. In October 2004, the Bush Administration announced STOP!, which is led by the White House and brings together the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, State, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
The PRO-IP Act broadly reflects the principles of STOP! and helps to reinforce and codify the Administration’s accomplishments in protecting and strengthening the rights of American workers, consumers, and innovators.
In July 2005, the President appointed the first ever US Coordinator for International IP Enforcement to lead the STOP! Initiative under the framework of the National IP Law Enforcement Coordination Council.
The Administration established the StopFakes.gov website and STOP! Hotline to provide individuals and businesses the information they need to protect their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The website includes IP toolkits to guide businesses through securing and enforcing their rights in key markets around the globe, including China, Russia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia and the European Union.
Over the past eight years, the Administration has led the global fight against counterfeiting and piracy.
The Administration has focused its efforts on China, the global epicenter of counterfeiting and piracy, through the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).
In 2004, the Commerce Department posted the first IP attaché at Embassy Beijing. Since then, the program has grown to include eight attachés in six embassies worldwide. The Justice Department has dedicated legal attachés at two embassies to focus on IP enforcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the first ever joint investigation with Chinese law enforcement counterparts. Operation “Summer Solstice” was the first ever joint investigation by the US federal law enforcement agencies with Chinese authorities. “Summer Solstice” resulted in 25 individual arrests and the seizure of counterfeit goods totaling over $500 million, the second largest counterfeit seizure in monetary value ever.
The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice have seen significant improvements in measures of IP enforcement increase over the last five years. The Department of Homeland Security reports seizures totaling $200 million in FY2007, a 27 percent increase from the previous year.
In 2005 the Department of Commerce’s US Patent and Trademark Office created the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA). GIPA is a one-of-a kind education and training facility dedicated to educating and training foreign government officials on IPRs protections and enforcement.
In October 2007, the Office of the USTR launched efforts to negotiate an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) – a groundbreaking agreement dedicated to advancing global leadership in the fight against IP theft.
The Administration has pursued collaborative engagements with key trading partners throughout the last four years, including most prominently the European Union, Mexico, and Canada.