Press Releases

Washington DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Darrell Issa (CA-48) announced that their bill, H.R. 1505, the No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act, was signed into law by President Joe Biden Monday evening.

This new law prohibits U.S. recognition of illegally confiscated trademarks and provides a bulwark against attempts by the Cuban regime to profit from hijacked intellectual property. The No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act does so by further restricting U.S. courts and executive branch agencies from enforcing or validating confiscated trademarks if they have been used in connection with an expropriated business or asset.

“Our most fundamental responsibility is protecting Americans from being victimized by our adversaries. This means standing up to foreign malign actors who take advantage of loopholes in our laws to profit from stolen trademarks.” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “I’ve heard Cuban American constituents recount how their families were stripped of hard-earned wealth, expropriated by autocratic regimes. I’m grateful to President Biden for signing our bill into law and demonstrating the United States’ continuing commitment to combating intellectual property theft.”

This bill righted a historic injustice by ensuring that American trademarks stolen by the Cuban regime will no longer be recognized on U.S. soil. This is more than just a law on the books: It is a declaration that the bond between the American people and their intellectual property is sacred, and its confiscation without consent is no less of a theft than the robbing of a bank. My thanks to Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, as well as Senators Rubio and Cortez Masto, for their leadership and dedication to this very just cause,” said Rep. Issa.

The previous prohibition was limited to U.S. courts and applied only if the confiscated trademark is being asserted in the United States by a Cuban national. Under H.R. 1505, the prohibition shall not apply if the original trademark owner, or a successor, has expressly consented to the enforcement action. This new law will prohibit any executive agency, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, from recognizing, enforcing, or validating any trademark that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated without the consent of the original owner or successor-in-interest. This bill would prevent anyone from using U.S. agencies to benefit from intellectual property stolen from its rightful owner.

Read the entire bill here.

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