The GIPC has worked with Congress to make certain that the executive agencies are fulfilling their IP protection and enforcement responsibilities. This includes ensuring that protection of global IP—so vital to the international competitiveness of U.S. companies—remains a centerpiece of the new administration’s trade policy. The GIPC supports the Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009 (S. 1631), introduced by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee in August 2009, because the bill includes provisions that would bolster IP enforcement resources and tools for the Department of Homeland Security through its Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agencies. These agencies play a critical role in stopping the increasing flow of counterfeit goods into U.S. ports and across the borders.   

Rick Cotton, NBC Universal, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, testified before the Senate Finance Committee on behalf of the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP) saying that cross-border IP theft has “mushroomed from a cottage industry into a global network that endangers our economy, kills our jobs, threatens our citizens’ health and safety and nourishes organized crime.” Congress should use the authorization process to upgrade IP enforcement capabilities at CBP and ICE and raise anti-counterfeiting and piracy responsibilities to senior levels at these agencies. The economic future of the United States depends on innovation, ingenuity, invention and creativity. Global competition relies on the technical sophistication of our products, the global recognition of our brands for quality, and the appeal of our creative industries. These intangibles will determine our competitiveness in the global markets.