Republican Representative for the State of Michigan, Joe Knollenberg’s proposed a bill to strengthen the anti-counterfeiting statute of the US. This ‘Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act’ was signed into law on March, 15th:
- it provides for the mandatory destruction of the machinery, tooling and supplies used to produce counterfeit goods. This provision would be similar to those afforded to copyright owners and would prevent counterfeiters from retaining capital equipment for further use.
- it amends current law to prohibit trafficking in counterfeit labels, patches, and medallions that are unattached to any goods. Sophisticated counterfeiters have often sold counterfeit versions of the trademark themselves in the form of patch sets or medallions that can later be attached to generic merchandises and given the appearance of a genuine product. Again trademark owners would be given the same protection now afforded to copyright owners.
According to Knollenberg, the revised law can provide the basis for the United States to request other countries, particularly China, to enact similar changes in their law.
Read more on the site of the US National Association of Manufacturers here.
