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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, is sponsoring legislation to protect U.S. troops and their families from organizations that seek unauthorized use of the names and images of our soldiers for commercial profit. The Soldiers Targeted by Offensive Profiteering Act of 2006 (STOP Act) is expected to be considered by the House later this month.
“Everyday, our men and women in uniform courageously serve this country and it’s disgusting that anyone would seek to profit from their sacrifices,” said a Rehberg, a member of the Military Quality of Life Appropriations Subcommittee. “The privacy of our troops and their families needs to be protected and respected. Only they should decide if they want their names and images associated with a commercial message.”
Currently, Louisiana and Oklahoma have laws protecting troops from commercial exploitation. Due to interstate commerce, a federal law is needed to stop this kind of profiteering, Rehberg said. The STOP Act allows the Secretary of Defense to prohibit the unauthorized use of a soldier’s name in commercial activity and allows the Attorney General to seek injunctions for violations. The bill was introduced after an Arizona merchant began selling anti-war t-shirts with the images of U.S. troops, including a fallen Marine from Oklahoma. “We’ve recently seen how offensive the unauthorized use of our troops’ images for political purposes can be,” added Rehberg. “The time is now to prevent that from happening on a wider scale so that the courage and sacrifice of America’s heroes is honored, not exploited for financial gain.” |
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