Fitzgerald Calls for Investigation into Local Business IP Theft by Chinese Corporation
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) sent bipartisan letters to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding stolen intellectual property of Raffel Systems, a Germantown manufacturer, by Chinese corporation Man Wah Holdings. A product patent of Raffel Systems was disregarded, and their name was used in the production of faulty knockoff items to be sold in the United States, stealing business, and damaging the public reputation of the brand. The letters call for federal agencies to further investigate this malicious behavior.
"Chinese corporations have long engaged in IP theft of American companies to get a global competitive advantage. Without regard for the impact of their actions, Man Wah Holdings stole business from a small, Wisconsin company and purposely worked to injure their business, said Rep. Scott Fitzgerald. China’s theft of United States intellectual property is an urgent concern that is estimated to cost the United States economy up to $600 billion annually."
“We are grateful that Senator Baldwin, Representative Fitzgerald and Representative Grothman recognize the importance of protecting intellectual property and for working to hold Man Wah accountable for its unfair, anti-competitive behavior, said Raffel Systems Executive Chairman Paul Stangl. We hope the federal agencies will investigate this matter and put a stop to Man Wah’s disregard for proprietary technology.”
Read the letters here: FTC, ITC, CPSC
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Congressman Scott Fitzgerald was sworn in to the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021 and is proud to represent Wisconsin’s Fifth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.