Washington – The Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee is holding a hearing Tuesday on S. 2934, the recently reintroduced Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-commerce Act (“SHOP SAFE”). Similar flawed legislation was introduced last year that was widely opposed by industry and dozens of civil society groups, companies, associations, and trademark scholars.
Computer & Communications Industry Association President Matt Schruers will testify that online services take this issue seriously and are already investing in ways to reduce counterfeit products with an emphasis on safety. Companies also offer brand registration programs to better utilize automated tools in identifying and removing confirmed counterfeit products.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Reducing counterfeits online and keeping consumers safe is a shared goal. Unfortunately the measures proposed would make online services responsible for protecting overseas luxury brands more than consumers and would reduce opportunities for smaller U.S. businesses. This proposal does little to remove more counterfeit goods and places significantly more burdens on sellers than brand owners. The proposal incentivizes trademark owners to go after intermediaries instead of the actual bad actors: the counterfeiters.”