Campaign to Protect America Legislation  

In June 2007, the CACP launched the Campaign to Protect America, an aggressive legislative package to combat counterfeiting and piracy and IP theft. Many submissions from the Campaign to Protect America became part of Senate bill 3325, the PRO-IP Act, that was signed into law in October of 2008. This act is a critical step toward improving the federal government’s ability to protect IP.

Over the next year the CACP will be working to fully fund and implement the PRO-IP Act and pass the remining pieces of the Campaign to Protect America including:

An authorization to bolster IP enforcement resources and tools for the Department of Homeland Security through its Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agencies
Legislation to improve the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) "Special 301" process, which would help the USTR deal more effectively with countries that fail to repect and enforce the rights of American innovators and live up to their international IP obligations.

Resources:

• Campaign to Protect America Summary

PRO-IP Act

In October 2008 the PRO-IP Act (Senate Bill 3325) was signed into law. The PRO-IP Act provides for updated legal authorities, additional resources, and better coordination among agencies to combat counterfeiting and piracy, a problem that is estimated to cost U.S. businesses upwards of $200 billion annually. 

While this was an important step, it was only an authorization. Whether the new law is ultimately effective will be contingent on how the administration chooses to implement it and whether Congress makes it a priority to fund the new positions it creates. The CACP will work with the House Appropriations Committee to ensure that all elements of the PRO-IP Act are adequately funded.

Resources:

• Letter to the President regarding IPEC from the House sponsors of S. 3325
• Letter to the President regarding IPEC from the Senate sponsors of S. 3325
• Letter to Appropriation's Committee Members from the National Association of Attorneys General
• Press Release: September 26, 2008 - Chamber Commends Senate
• View final text of S. 3325
• Laura Tyson Report - Economic Analysis of the Campaign to Protect America

Additional Resources

U.S. Senate Judiciary Hearing - June 17, 2008

• Hearing webcast
• What They Are Saying: Senate Judiciary Hearing on Intellectual Property

U.S. House of Representatives Passes H.R. 4279 - May 8, 2008

• Press Release: May 8, 2008 - Chamber Commends U.S. House for Moving to Protect Intellectual Property Rights

U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Hearing - December 13, 2007

• Hearing webcast
• Testimony - Rick Cotton, Chairman, CACP
• Testimony - James Hoffa, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Letter of support for H.R. 4279

H.R. 4279 (PRO-IP Act) - December 5, 2007

• Bill text
• H.R. 4279 Fact Sheet
• CACP Letter of Support
• Press Release

Campaign to Protect America Launch Event - June 14, 2007

• Campaign to Protect America Launch Press Release