On the recordJuly 14, 2016
with Senator Chuck Grassley, I am proud to cosponsor a resolution designating July 2016 as the ``National Anti- Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness'' Month in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Lanham Act, which provided the foundation for our modern Federal trademark registration system. Not only are trademarks a source of significant value for companies, but they also play an important role in communicating the authenticity and integrity of products and services to customers, thereby promoting consumer safety. For example, counterfeit batteries, sometimes featuring fake trademarks, have been linked to increased risks of spontaneous fires--a clear safety hazard if that battery is in a consumer product such as a children's toy. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, seizures related to counterfeit intellectual property increased almost 25 percent between 2014 and 2015. While the government must continue its interception of fake goods at our borders, these numbers and the apparent rise of this problem also call for greater consumer awareness of the risks of buying counterfeit products. By designating this month the ``National Anti- Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness'' Month, I hope to foster such an awareness and the role that intellectual property--here, the trademark system--plays in helping to protect consumers.
