US trade bodies urge next govt to focus on IP protection, counterfeits

Its suggested steps include convening an inter-agency working group to fight illicit trade, protect IP and eradicate counterfeits and resuming initiatives to implement recommended actions outlined in the 2020 department of homeland security (DHS) report on ‘Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods’.

The organisations called for supporting passage of the SHOP SAFE Act as introduced in the 118th Congress to incentivise e-commerce platforms to improve their systems to detect and prevent the sale of counterfeit products, and appointing an IP enforcement coordinator to oversee and coordinate IP enforcement actions and policies across the administration, a release from the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) said.

An under-secretary of commerce for IP and director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) be appointed to protect IP and drive innovative digital policies for creators and innovators, their letter recommended.

The co-signers of the letter include AAFA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF), the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC).

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)