U.S. Chamber of Commerce Welcomes G-8 Resolve to Combat Counterfeiting and Piracy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today applauded the commitments made by leaders at the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg this past weekend to strengthen intellectual property protection and enforcement.

"The Chamber is encouraged by the commitments made by G-8 leaders to combat counterfeiting and piracy world wide," said Lt. General Daniel W. Christman (ret.), senior vice president for International Affairs. "The leaders recognized that IPR theft is a major threat to the global economic growth and public health and safety. We praise and support their efforts."

Among the commitments made include: supporting a comprehensive Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report outlining the economic impact of counterfeiting and piracy on national economies; enhancing border and customs control coordination between members through information exchanges and best practice sharing; and coordinating with world organizations on technical assistance programs for third world countries.

"The Chamber is committed to making the world a miserable place for counterfeiters and pirates," added Christman. "This is a significant step forward in what will continue to be a major focal point for the U.S. Chamber in the coming months, which is to protect public health and safety, advance innovation and job creation and establish fair competition throughout the global marketplace."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

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