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H.R.4216 / 112th Congress

Foreign Counterfeit Prevention Act

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 20, 2012

Foreign Counterfeit Prevention Act - Amends the federal criminal code to provide that it shall not be a violation of the prohibition against a federal employee disclosing trade secrets or other confidential or proprietary information for an officer or employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): (1) at the time that merchandise is presented for examination and thereafter, to provide the owner of a copyright or a registered mark or any person who may be injured by a circumvention of copyright protection systems with any information appearing on the merchandise, including its retail packaging, or a sample or image of such merchandise and its retail packaging, for the purposes of determining whether the merchandise or its packaging infringes the copyright, bears or consists of a counterfeit mark of the registered mark, or is a violation of copyright protection systems; or (2) after a determination is made that merchandise is in violation of copyright protection systems, to provide certain information to persons injured by such violation, including the date of importation, the U.S. port of entry at which the merchandise was seized, a description of the merchandise, the country of origin of the merchandise, the names and addresses of the foreign manufacturer, the exporter, and the importer of the merchandise, and a photographic or digital image of the merchandise.

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Who introduced it

Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2] · R–TX

Committees

  • Judiciary Committee
3 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Subcommittee Hearings Held.

  2. Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

  3. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Objective

Analyze H.R.4216 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

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Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.R.4216 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.4216 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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