Washington — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued its report to the White House regarding proposed action on addressing counterfeits and pirated goods in online marketplaces.
This follows a Presidential Memorandum from last April on “Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods”, which tasked Commerce and DHS to prepare a report with a focus on the roles of online third-party marketplaces and other third-party intermediaries.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association is an international trade association which has members that enforce policies aimed at reducing piracy and counterfeit products online. In comments given to the U.S. Commerce Department in July, CCIA identified a number of existing policies and tools in place by Internet services and asked the Administration to use this consultation as an opportunity to strengthen e-commerce. In recent months, companies have also announced additional measures to address counterfeits.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“E-commerce services and online marketplaces understand the importance of retaining user trust in their services and will continue investing in safeguards against counterfeit products.
“The report includes concerning assertions on expanded liability. We strongly encourage collaboration between government officials and stakeholders so that the implementation of these recommendations do not negatively affect users and small businesses that utilize these services.”