Today Victoria Espinel, the Obama administration's U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator delivered the White House's National Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement Strategy to Congress. In doing so the United States government took a historic and very meaningful step towards fighting intellectual property theft worldwide, standing up for American workers, innovators, creators, and the 18 million American jobs that directly rely on the protection of IP rights. If fully implemented by the administration and Congress, the first-ever National IP Enforcement Strategy could dramatically improve our nation's ability to combat counterfeiting and piracy. 
 
The theft of virtually everything Americans make, create, and innovate has been facilitated by the lack of a comprehensive government strategy to put these thieves out of business. As a result of the lack of a National Strategy, the culture of 'on-line equals no crime' has prevailed on the internet, making it possible for increasingly sophisticated criminal networks to threaten the existence of some of America's most innovative and creative industries. 
 
The National Strategy, the first of its kind, will defend America's intellectual property by cracking down on the counterfeiting and piracy that are killing jobs, harming consumers, and stunting our economic recovery. We look forward to working with the White House and the Congress to quickly implement and build upon the National Strategy. In doing so, we will protect American jobs and consumers by: 

• Aggressively cracking down on the growing problem of IP theft online, by making it harder for criminals to use the Internet to distribute stolen American ideas and harm consumers;
• Making the United States and its like-minded trading partners the toughest, most capable enforcers of IP laws in the world, delivering effective consequences to those stealing others' hard work and ingenuity; and
• Protecting IP rights in the United States and abroad, particularly in the handful of capitals and multilateral fora where some are constantly trying to undermine them for their own gain.

This is an issue that unites business and labor, Republicans and Democrats. The Obama administration has been a strong advocate of IP rights. The White House has followed up its appointment of the first U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator with the delivery to Congress of the new National IP Enforcement Strategy. This is an important step, and we look forward to building on this initial plan. Congress and the administration must begin implementing this plan now if we are to stem IP theft and strengthen our economy. Protecting IP rights is a critical component of our economic resurgence, and vitally important to America's future; this plan can serve as a path towards both.