Bush signs anti-counterfeiting law

March 1, 2006
President Bush has signed into law the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act (H R 32). The act enhances criminal sanctions against trademark counterfeiters.

President Bush has signed into law the “Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act” (H R 32).

The act enhances criminal sanctions against trademark counterfeiters. It closes a loophole in current criminal law, which currently does not criminally prohibit trafficking in the counterfeit labels and packaging that are used with counterfeit goods. It also requires the disposal of counterfeit goods and marks to ensure that trademark thieves do not profit from their sale.

“Our laws now become a greater deterrent to trademark theft, by making the potential costs of getting caught much higher than the potential profits of product piracy,” said Lee Kadrich, AAIA vice president, government affairs and trade. “This new act also arms U S trade negotiators to win equivalent statutory protections from the many trade partners seeking free trade agreements with the United States.”