Patrick Leahy: “Counterfeiting is a threat to America. It wreaks real harm on our economy, our workers, and our consumers. Today…”

“Counterfeiting is a threat to America. It wreaks real harm on our economy, our workers, and our consumers. Today, Senator Specter and I introduce the ``Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act,'' a tough bill that will give law enforcement improved tools to fight this form of theft. The bill is short and straightforward, but its impact should be profound and far-reaching. It is all too easy to think of counterfeiting as a victimless crime, a means of buying sunglasses or a purse that would otherwise strain a monthly budget. The reality, however, is far different. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, counterfeiting costs the U.S. between $200 billion and $250 billion annually. In Vermont, companies like Burton Snowboards, Vermont Tubbs, SB Electronics, and Hubbardton Forge--all of which have cultivated their good names through pure hard work and creativity--have felt keenly the damage of intellectual property theft on their businesses. This is wrong. It is simply not fair to the businesses who innovate and to the people whose economic livelihoods depend on these companies. The threat posed by counterfeiting is more than a matter of economics. Inferior products can threaten the safety of those who use them. When a driver taps a car's brake pedals there should be no uncertainty about whether the brake linings are made of compressed grass, sawdust, or cardboard.…”