119-SRES314

Resolution is currently in: Senate
Passed:

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 314

Recognizing the importance of trademarks in the economy and the role of trademarks in protecting consumer safety, by designating the month of July as "National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month".

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 8, 2025

Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Tillis, and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

RESOLUTION

Whereas public awareness is crucial to safeguard consumers and businesses from unsafe and unreliable products that, through illicit activity, threaten intellectual property rights, the economic market, and even the health and well-being of consumers;

Whereas Federal statutes such as the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other purposes", approved July 5, 1946 (commonly referred to as the "Trademark Act of 1946" or the "Lanham Act") (60 Stat. 427, chapter 540; 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.) (referred to in this preamble as the "Lanham Act"), and the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–473; 98 Stat. 2178) regulate the unlawful act of producing and selling counterfeit products;

Whereas the Lanham Act provided the foundation for modern Federal trademark protection, creating legal rights and remedies for brand owners suffering from trademark infringement, helping consumers make informed choices by reducing the amount of confusingly similar products, and making the marketplace more fair, competitive, and safe for all;

Whereas October 12, 2025, marks the 41st anniversary of the enactment of the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984 (Public Law 98–473; 98 Stat. 2178);

Whereas, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, there were an estimated 88,200,000 active trademark registrations around the world in 2023, a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year;

Whereas counterfeit products undermine laws, including the Lanham Act, that ensure the safety of consumers, businesses, and brand owners against illegitimate products in the marketplace, from which criminal groups and bad actors are benefitting at the expense of the public and private sector;

Whereas counterfeiters use different online platforms to attract consumers to buy illegitimate goods, usually enticing consumers through cheaper prices;

Whereas the growth of both global commerce and electronic commerce has expedited the evolving problem of counterfeit goods, because that growth in commerce has given third-party actors an enhanced opportunity to reach consumers that they may have not previously been able to reach;

Whereas the deceptive tactics of counterfeiters and their counterfeit products pose actual and potential harm to the health and safety of the people of the United States, especially the most vulnerable consumers in society, such as senior citizens and children;

Whereas, according to the 2025 report by the United States Trade Representative required under section 182(h) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2242(h)) (commonly referred to as the "Special 301 Report"), counterfeit items often do not comply with regulated safety standards, and as a result, vast amounts of unsafe products are constantly circulating the market and endangering the public;

Whereas goods originating in China and Hong Kong accounted for more than 90 percent of all customs seizures of dangerous counterfeit goods in fiscal year 2024, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other goods;

Whereas counterfeit medical products pose a particular threat to the safety and health of consumers in the United States because those counterfeit goods do not adhere to the same quality standards as authentic articles;

Whereas, in September 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued its first Public Safety Alert in 6 years to warn the public about the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fake prescription pills in the United States, pills that often contain deadly doses of fentanyl, and in 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized a staggering 60,000,000 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills;

Whereas counterfeit products threaten the United States economy and job creation, and according to Library of Congress and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as of 2020, counterfeiting and piracy have cost businesses in the United States more than $200,000,000,000 per year, have led to the loss of more than 750,000 jobs, and have induced an additional loss of approximately $29,000,000,000 per year to the economy of the United States through displacing the legitimate sale of authentic goods;

Whereas, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, in 2019, counterfeiting caused an estimated $22,300,000,000 loss in labor income, a $5,600,000,000 loss in Federal tax revenues, and a $4,000,000,000 loss in State and local tax revenues;

Whereas, in 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 32,300,000 counterfeit goods, with an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $5,400,000,000 if the goods were genuine, which equates to about $14,794,520 in counterfeit goods seizures every day;

Whereas the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that the global trade of counterfeit products was appraised at $467,000,000,000 in 2021;

Whereas businesses of all sizes collectively spend millions of dollars to protect and enforce their own brand and products by removing counterfeit products from both online and physical marketplaces;

Whereas businesses must devote resources to combating counterfeit products instead of using those resources to grow their business by hiring new employees and developing new products;

Whereas one of the most effective ways to protect consumers from the dangers of counterfeit products is through educational campaigns and awareness programs; and

Whereas organizations such as the Congressional Trademark Caucus, Federal enforcement agencies, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, and State enforcement agencies are actively working to raise awareness of the value of trademarks and the impact and harms caused by counterfeit products on both the national and State economies: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1) - designates the month of July 2025 as "National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month";

(2) - supports the goals and ideals of National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month to educate the public and raise public awareness about the actual and potential dangers counterfeit products pose to consumer health and safety;

(3) - affirms the continuing importance and need for comprehensive Federal, State, and private sector-supported education and awareness efforts designed to equip the consumers of the United States with the information and tools needed to safeguard against illegal counterfeit products in traditional commerce, internet commerce, and other electronic commerce platforms; and

(4) - recognizes and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combating counterfeiting by promoting awareness about the actual and potential harm of counterfeiting to consumers and brand owners and by promoting new education programs and campaigns designed to reduce the supply of, and demand for, counterfeit products.