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”.

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.