EVANS:
“STRATEGY TARGETING ORGANIZED PIRACY CRACKS DOWN ON PIRATES
WHO STEAL FROM
AMERICAN WORKERS
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans today joined
Ambassador Robert Zoellick, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Homeland
Security Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson to focus on the Administration’s
“Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy(STOP)” initiative.
The initiative protects American businesses and their products from
counterfeiters and pirates who are stealing from America’s
workers and robbing billions from the U.S. economy.
“For
the past three years, the Bush Administration has aggressively worked
to enforce intellectual property rights. Today’s STOP initiative
allows us to leverage those efforts and new innovative solutions
to better protect America’s intellectual property.”
said Evans. “One of President Bush’s top economic priorities
has been to put counterfeiters and pirates who tilt the playing
field against American companies out of business. The STOP initiative
gives American businesses clear steps to protect themselves from
international counterfeiters and encourages businesses to adopt
programs to insure that their supply chains are free from fakes.”
Under
the STOP Initiative, Commerce will do the following:
--
Establish a hotline that provides a one-stop-shop for businesses
to protect their intellectual property at home and abroad. 1-866-999-HALT
provides businesses with the information they need to leverage the
resources of the U.S.G. to protect their intellectual property rights
--
Build a bridge between companies and US Customs to block bogus goods
at the border.
--
Develop a comprehensive web-based guide for American innovators
and businesses on how to safeguard their ideas and innovations;
--
Challenge industry leaders to develop voluntary guidelines/corporate
compliance programs to ensure that their supply chains are free
of trade in fakes
The
Commerce Department continues to focus on the President’s
goal to level the playing field by opening new markets for American
products and tough enforcement of international trade laws in order
to grow our economy and create new jobs.
“The
Bush administration will continue knocking down the barriers to
effective trade enforcement,” said Evans. “Our goal
is to ensure that the talents, the innovations, and the creativity
of America’s brightest minds are protected from theft and
piracy.”