Krishnamoorthi, Moolenaar Urge ITC to Protect American Innovation Against PRC IP Theft

WASHINGTON — Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) submitted comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) highlighting the importance of defending U.S. intellectual property and stopping unfair foreign competition that threatens American jobs, technological leadership, and national security. In their letter to ITC Chair Amy Karpel and Commissioners David Johanson and Jason Kearns, the lawmakers urged strong enforcement of Section 337 trade enforcement laws in a patent infringement case brought by GoPro Inc. against Arashi Vision Inc. (d/b/a Insta360), a competitor based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 

“As Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, we are all too familiar with the routine practice of PRC-based companies stealing intellectual property from their U.S. competitors and proceeding to undercut those same companies in the U.S. and international markets,” Krishnamoorthi and Moolenaar wrote. “Imports based on stolen U.S. intellectual property and that violate fair trade principles must be stopped.”

The lawmakers emphasized that Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is a critical tool the U.S. government must use to protect American industries from predatory trade practices, particularly given the sharp increase in cases involving PRC-based entities engaged in patent infringement, trade secret theft, and other unfair practices. They called on the ITC to act “swiftly and decisively” in cases where violations are identified to safeguard American research, jobs, and competitiveness.

Krishnamoorthi and Moolenaar also warned of the national security implications involved in this case. “Advanced imaging systems, like those developed by GoPro, can have dual-use applications in surveillance, reconnaissance, and other defense-related contexts,” they noted, citing PRC laws that compel corporate cooperation with the Chinese government. “The unauthorized transfer of dual-use capabilities to entities from countries of concern risks compromising U.S. defense readiness, critical infrastructure, and technological sovereignty.”

The lawmakers concluded by urging the ITC to maintain a strong posture in enforcing Section 337 to protect American intellectual property, and deter future misconduct by foreign adversaries.

A copy of the letter is available HERE.

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