U.S. Chamber, Coalition Issue Best Practices on How Companies Can Combat Counterfeiting and Piracy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy today released recommendations on steps companies can take to protect their supply chains from counterfeiters and modern-day pirates.

"Our tool kit provides both large and small companies with useful, effective ways to prevent their products and services from being counterfeited or pirated," said David Hirschmann, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "We have culled best practices from some of America's leading companies to help others fight this growing problem."

The only document of its kind, the No Trade in Fakes Supply Chain Tool Kit: Protecting Businesses, Consumers, and Brand Integrity includes best practice guidelines and seven case studies of companies that devised and implemented aggressive techniques to fight counterfeiting and piracy and protect themselves and their customers. Participating companies included Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, New Balance, Ford, and Purdue Pharma. This tool kit will be distributed to more than a million members of the business community over the next month.

Pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, for example, uses armored vehicles equipped with global positioning systems and counter-surveillance teams to transport their products and keep them out of the hands of criminals.

Counterfeiting and piracy are a rapidly growing problem for American companies, costing the U.S. economy between $200 billion and $250 billion a year. American consumers, who believe they are buying a trusted American brand, and are often unwittingly purchasing dangerous and defective products, such as fake pharmaceutical drugs, fake auto parts, and fake electrical products and batteries.

The Chamber is working with government and industry on a global scale to help thwart this growing threat. To learn more about our efforts, visit www.thetruecosts.org/.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than
3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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07-17