Counterfeiting and Piracy Harms Consumers and Businesses

USCC 2025 NML Comment Submission FINAL

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Sydney Redden
Director, IP Enforcement, Global Innovation Policy Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published

October 02, 2025

What happened: This week, the U.S. Chamber submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as part of its 2025 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. This annual review identifies foreign online and physical marketplaces that enable widespread IP theft and encourages action against these illicit actors.

Why It Matters: Intellectual property is a cornerstone of U.S. economic strength. IP-intensive industries drive over $5 trillion in U.S. economic activity and support millions of jobs. Yet, counterfeiting and piracy continue to erode the value of American innovation, threaten consumer safety, and undermine legitimate businesses.

The numbers speak for themselves:

Counterfeit and pirated goods account for $464 billion in global trade according to the OECD and EUIPO.

There are an estimated 229 billion visits to piracy sites annually.

Annually, the U.S. loses $29.2 billion from online piracy

Looking Ahead: USTR’s 2025 Notorious Markets review highlights enforcement challenges for piracy of sports broadcasting. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics both scheduled to occur in the United States, the Chamber is urging USTR to prioritize enforcement against piracy of live sports broadcasts. These events attract billions of viewers and generate massive licensing revenues, making them prime targets for illegal streaming operations.

The Chamber’s comment emphasizes the need for:

Continued public-private partnerships

Global adoption of anti-piracy mechanisms

Cross-border data sharing

Collaboration with international bodies like the OECD and WIPO

The bottom line: Illicit markets are evolving rapidly – based both on adaptability to anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting measures as well as consumer demand. To protect American innovation and consumers, enforcement must be equally relentless. The Chamber stands ready to work with USTR and global partners to strengthen IP protections and disrupt counterfeit and piracy networks.