Orrin Hatch: “I rise to express my support for S. 3804, the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, as introduced by…”

“I rise to express my support for S. 3804, the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, as introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Over the years, Senator Leahy and I have tackled some of the most complex issues related to intellectual property enforcement. With the introduction of today's bill, we narrow our focus on the pervasive practice of online piracy and counterfeiting. In our global economy the Internet has become the glue of international commerce--connecting consumers with a wide-array of products and services worldwide. But it has also become a tool for online thieves to sell counterfeit and pirated goods. These online thieves are making hundreds of millions of dollars by luring consumers to what appear to be legitimate websites, where unauthorized downloads, streaming or downloaded copyrighted content and counterfeit goods are sold. Not only do these websites facilitate massive theft of American IP, but they undermine legitimate commerce. We cannot afford to not act, especially when, by some estimates, IP accounts for a third of the market value of all U.S. stocks-- approximately five trillion dollars or more.”