Rep. Gohmert (TX-01) Introduces the Protect American IPR Act

I released the following statement for my new bill stopping Chinese intellectual property theft:

When the United States opened up trade with the People’s Republic of China under President Bill Clinton and agreed to their involvement in the World Trade Organization, Americans were promised that economic partnership with the country would be mutually beneficial: we would have access to the most populous economic market in the world, and China would be encouraged toward democracy and freedom.

Now, over 20 years later, this naivete has cost American companies and innovators an estimated $225 billion to $600 billion per year in intellectual property revenue.

This is why I am introducing the Protect American IPR Act. It is time that we start pulling the curtain back to expose China’s brazen and relentless intellectual property theft.

The Protect American IPR Act commissions the United States Trade Representative to determine the amount of revenue lost each year due to violations by China or any governmental entity of China due to the sheer magnitude of their extensive, gross violations. The act would further impose duties on merchandise from China equivalent to loss of revenue in order to compensate Americans for intellectual property rights stolen.  This bill protects American industry and ingenuity from China’s unethical business practices.

Thank you to the Cosponsors:

Rep. Maria Salazar (FL-27)

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)

Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01)