Washington — The House Judiciary IP Subcommittee holds a hearing this afternoon on H.R. 3429 (the Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-Commerce Act, or SHOP SAFE Act), which would establish prescriptive requirements aimed at reducing the sale of counterfeit and unsafe products online. This legislation proposes ambiguous and onerous provisions that would harm industry, small marketplaces, and ultimately users.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association represents companies that invest significant resources in combating counterfeit and unsafe products online. CCIA offered a written statement to the Subcommittee ahead of the hearing.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Digital services have no tolerance for those illegally selling counterfeits online; it puts users at risk and reduces trust. E-commerce providers work with trademark owners and invest heavily in ways to detect and remove counterfeit products. However only brand owners know for certain what goods have been licensed. Everyone has a role to play in online safety, and to create regulations that don’t require brand owner participation would leave digital services guessing at the IP rights of a trademark owner. This would be particularly onerous for smaller sellers.”