AAFA welcomes protection act
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has welcomed the introduction of the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PROTECT IP Act) by lead sponsors Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Orrin Hatch, and Chuck Grassley, and seven co-sponsors. The PROTECT IP Act specifically targets websites that serve as an e-commerce distribution strategy for counterfeit and fake goods around the world.
“Footwear, apparel and fashion accessories are some of the most counterfeited goods in the world,” said AAFA president and CEO Kevin M Burke. “As US consumers continue to embrace e-commerce as a key shopping method, rogue websites have emerged as a popular way for counterfeiters to get fake goods into the United States.
“I applaud Senator Leahy for his diligence in addressing a variety of issues that impact each industry plagued with counterfeiting,” said Mr Burke. “The US apparel and footwear industry is committed to combating these fake websites by providing law enforcement and right’s holders with the strongest enforcement mechanisms possible. This bill sets us in the right direction to providing us with a full arsenal of tools that will be helpful in fighting these rouge websites.”
Timed to coincide with introduction, AAFA, the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, and the Outdoor Industry Association sent a letter to the US House of Representatives detailing several ways to further strengthen the PROTECT IP Act. Some of these considerations include adding provisions to allow a company to pursue a private right of action against the holder of a rogue website, to require “expeditious” action by internet service providers, and to ensure that internet search engines that contract with counterfeiters are held accountable.
