U.S. Chamber Applauds Public-Private Partnership in Defeating Counterfeiting Ring

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue today applauded the successful culmination of a multiyear investigation involving $1/2 billion worth of counterfeit Microsoft software:

"The Chamber commends Microsoft, the FBI, and China's Public Security Bureau for today's counterfeiting crackdown in Guangdong, China. These are the partnerships that will affect real change in the global fight against counterfeiting and piracy. This case uncovered more than $1/2 billion in fake products in 27 countries, on 5 continents, and pirated or counterfeit material created in 8 languages. These are global organized crime networks that will stop at nothing to steal from legitimate corporations and ultimately cheat consumers.

"Counterfeiting and piracy are two of the biggest problems facing the business community and consumers today. If industry, government, and law enforcement collaborate, then we will be able to protect American innovation, jobs, and consumer health and safety," said Donohue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a global, multi-million dollar initiative to thwart the growing threat of counterfeiting and piracy, to protect public health and safety, defend the rights of businesses, and establish fair competition in the global marketplace. As part of its intellectual property rights (IPR) program in China, the U.S. Chamber has been working collaboratively with authorities in Guangdong and other Chinese provinces for more than two years to stem the global challenges of counterfeiting and piracy.

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

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