Patrick Leahy: “Today, I am partnering with Senator Cornyn in another of our bipartisan efforts to improve the lives of Americans…”

“Today, I am partnering with Senator Cornyn in another of our bipartisan efforts to improve the lives of Americans through effective and efficient government. The bill we are introducing, the ``Protecting American Goods and Services Act of 2005,'' will strengthen our ability to combat the escalating problem of counterfeiting worldwide. In order to effectively fight intellectual property theft, we need stiff penalties for counterfeiters and those who are caught with counterfeit goods with the intent to traffic their false wares. Ours is a short bill--indeed, it is only four pages long--but it will have global implications in the fight against piracy. Counterfeiting is a growing problem that costs our economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and has been linked to organized crime, including terrorist organizations. According to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, counterfeit parts have been discovered in helicopters sold to NATO, in jet engines, bridge joints, brake pads, and fasteners in equipment designed to prevent nuclear reactor meltdowns. The World Health Organization estimates that the market for counterfeit drugs is about $32 billion each year. Several years ago, Senator Hatch joined me in sponsoring the ``Anti- counterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996,'' which addressed counterfeiting by amending several sections of our criminal and tariff codes.…”