ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE:RST), a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, announced that CEO Tom Adams will testify today before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the Committee’s efforts to introduce meaningful anti-piracy legislation. Legislation introduced last year would have given the Department of Justice the tools to monitor and shut down websites that sell copyrighted or counterfeit goods or provide access to unauthorized downloads. Although the legislation did not reach a vote before the end of the last session of Congress, efforts to thwart online piracy have widespread backing from U.S. businesses and industry associations and bipartisan support in Congress.
“Online piracy harms both businesses and consumers,” Adams said today. “When consumers are duped into purchasing counterfeit products from ‘rogue’ websites advertising on search engines such as Google, everyone loses. Consumers are exposed to poor quality or harmful products while subjecting themselves to identity theft and software viruses. Companies have their brands tarnished and their ability to maintain and create jobs in America diminished by the IP theft.”
Speaking before the Judiciary Committee, Adams told the senators, “I want to thank you and your colleagues for recognizing the harm that the proliferation of websites offering counterfeit products and services causes to American consumers and businesses and for prioritizing the enactment of legislation to address this serious problem.”
Adams was invited to testify today along with other notable individuals including best-selling author Scott Turow and senior executives from other companies like Visa and Verizon. Rosetta Stone appeared before the Committee in the first of what may be several hearings as Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) seeks input from industry and advocacy groups.
To report piracy of Rosetta Stone products or inquire about the legitimacy of Rosetta Stone products, consumers can e-mail piracy@RosettaStone.com. To receive industry-wide information about software piracy, consumers can call the Business Software Alliance (BSA) Anti-Piracy Hotline at 1-888-667-4722.
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone Inc. is changing the way the world learns languages. Rosetta Stone provides interactive solutions that are acclaimed for the power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. Available in more than 30 languages, Rosetta Stone language-learning solutions are used by schools, organizations and millions of individuals in over 150 countries throughout the world. The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning a language should be natural and instinctive and that interactive technology can replicate and activate the immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit RosettaStone.com.