Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Columbia Sportswear Company and Vibram USA, Inc. joined legislators to bring attention to the continuing harm online infringement and counterfeits pose to American jobs and the economy.
“Online counterfeiting costs the outdoor industry and other American businesses billions of dollars every year,” said OIA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer, in a statement. “Since the outdoor industry generates more than $289 billion in annual retail sales and services, counterfeiting directly harms and seriously undermines North American leadership in innovative outdoor products. OIA and outdoor industry businesses stand ready to support and promote bipartisan, bicameral initiatives in Congress to combat the theft of intellectual property.”
OIA has established an online counterfeit task force to support outdoor
industry businesses in their battle against rogue websites that is
co-chaired by Canada Goose in Toronto and Deckers Outdoor Corporation in
Goleta, CA. Other task force members include Vibram USA, Inc., Columbia
Sportswear, Spyder Active Sports, Timberland and several other well
known U.S. outdoor brands.
Legislators backing the initiative included Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), House
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), House Judiciary
Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), and Congressman Bob
Goodlatte (R-Va.), who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on
Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
