Shop Safe to Move in House Judiciary Committee in Near Future

A bill that would impose new requirements for e-commerce platforms to detect and police counterfeits, Shop Safe (Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-commerce), will be moving through the House Judiciary Committee "in the next few weeks," Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said May 7. Issa, who chairs Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, spoke to International Trade Today after a hearing his subcommittee held on the administration's response to counterfeits.

The Shop Safe Act has not been able to pass the Senate since it was first introduced in 2020 (see 2003030049); while brands that are plagued by counterfeits want to see it pass (see 2212280036), it has faced strong opposition from e-commerce giants and other tech interests (see 2310030071). It was part of House Democrats' China package, but was removed during negotiations with the Senate.

Issa said that he and ranking member Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., believe that Shop Safe has a good likelihood of passing the House before the end of 2024, "because we believe it's the kind of an item they're looking for on the floor."