A resolution recognizing the importance of trademarks in the economy and the role of trademarks in protecting consumer safety by designating the month of July as "National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 818 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 818

Recognizing the importance of trademarks in the economy and the role of
 trademarks in protecting consumer safety by designating the month of
   July as ``National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and
                           Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2026

   Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Tillis, and Ms. Hirono)
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

Recognizing the importance of trademarks in the economy and the role of
 trademarks in protecting consumer safety by designating the month of
   July as ``National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas public awareness is crucial to safeguard consumers and businesses from
        unsafe and unreliable products that, through illicit activity, threaten
        intellectual property rights, the economic market, and even the health
        and well-being of consumers;
Whereas Federal statutes such as the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the
        registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out
        the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other
        purposes'', approved July 5, 1946 (commonly referred to as the
        ``Trademark Act of 1946'' or the ``Lanham Act'') (60 Stat. 427, chapter
        540; 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.) (referred to in this preamble as the
        ``Lanham Act''), and the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984 (Public
        Law 98-473; 98 Stat. 2178) regulate the unlawful act of producing and
        selling counterfeit products;
Whereas the Lanham Act provided the foundation for modern Federal trademark
        protection, creating legal rights and remedies for brand owners
        suffering from trademark infringement, helping consumers make informed
        choices by reducing the amount of confusingly similar products, and
        making the marketplace more fair, competitive, and safer for all;
Whereas October 12, 2026, marks the 42nd anniversary of the enactment of the
        Lanham Act;
Whereas the year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the
        Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the protection of
        intellectual property enables people worldwide to recognize American
        brands that are synonymous with leaders in their product sectors and the
        United States of America as a nation;
Whereas, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, there were
        an estimated 93,200,000 active trademark registrations around the world
        in 2024, a 6.1-percent increase from the previous year;
Whereas counterfeit products undermine laws, including the Lanham Act, that
        ensure the safety of consumers, businesses, and brand owners against
        illegitimate products in the marketplace, from which criminal groups and
        bad actors are benefitting at the expense of the public and private
        sector;
Whereas counterfeiters widely use online platforms to attract consumers to buy
        illegitimate goods, usually enticing consumers through cheaper prices;
Whereas the growth of both global commerce and electronic commerce has expedited
        the evolving problem of counterfeit goods, because that growth in
        commerce has given third-party actors an enhanced opportunity to reach
        consumers that they may have not previously been able to reach;
Whereas the deceptive tactics of counterfeiters and their counterfeit products
        pose actual and potential harm to the health and safety of the people of
        the United States, especially the most vulnerable consumers in society,
        such as senior citizens and children;
Whereas, according to the 2026 report by the United States Trade Representative
        required under section 182(h) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.
        2242(h)) (commonly referred to as the ``Special 301 Report''),
        counterfeit items often do not comply with regulated safety standards
        ``endanger[ing] the public, . . . often fuel[ing] cross-border organized
        criminal networks, increase[ing] the vulnerability of workers to
        exploitative labor practices, and hinder[ing] sustainable economic
        development in many countries'';
Whereas, according to the United States Trade Representative and U.S. Customs
        and Border Patrol, goods originating in China and Hong Kong, valued at
        $6,400,000,000, accounted for more than 87 percent of all customs
        seizures of dangerous counterfeit goods in fiscal year 2025, including
        electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other goods;
Whereas counterfeit medical products and medications pose a particular threat to
        the safety and health of consumers in the United States because those
        counterfeit goods do not adhere to the same quality standards as
        authentic articles;
Whereas, in 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized a staggering
        47,000,000 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more
        than 78,000,000 counterfeit goods, with an estimated manufacturer's
        suggested retail price of more than $7,400,000,000 if the goods were
        genuine, which equates to over $20,000,000 in counterfeit goods seizures
        every day, constituting an increase in quantity greater than double the
        number of goods seized in fiscal year 2024 and nearly a 40-percent
        increase in the value of goods seized year over year;
Whereas businesses of all sizes collectively spend millions of dollars to
        protect and enforce their own brand and products by removing counterfeit
        products from both online and physical marketplaces;
Whereas businesses must devote resources to combating counterfeit products
        instead of using those resources to grow their business by hiring new
        employees and developing new products;
Whereas one of the most effective ways to protect consumers from the dangers of
        counterfeit products is through educational campaigns and awareness
        programs; and
Whereas organizations such as the Congressional Trademark Caucus, Federal
        enforcement agencies, the National Intellectual Property Rights
        Coordination Center, State enforcement agencies, and other organizations
        are actively working to raise awareness of the value of trademarks and
        the impact and harms caused by counterfeit products on both the national
        and State economies: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of July 2026 as ``National Anti-
        Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month'';
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Anti-
        Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month to
        educate the public and raise public awareness about the actual
        and potential dangers counterfeit products pose to consumer
        health and safety;
            (3) affirms the continuing importance and need for
        comprehensive Federal, State, and private sector-supported
        education and awareness efforts designed to equip the consumers
        of the United States with the information and tools needed to
        safeguard against illegal counterfeit products in traditional
        commerce, internet commerce, and other electronic commerce
        platforms; and
            (4) recognizes and reaffirms the commitment of the United
        States to combating counterfeiting by promoting awareness about
        the actual and potential harm of counterfeiting to consumers
        and brand owners and by promoting new education programs and
        campaigns designed to reduce the supply of, and demand for,
        counterfeit products.
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