Closer Look at Counterfeit Products

Brand owners have been sounding the alarm about dangerous counterfeit products plaguing the internet for years. As consumers have moved online, counterfeiters have embraced the internet also. Their tools are becoming more sophisticated and their targeted products becoming more wide ranging as they dupe unwitting consumers into purchasing fakes. It is clear that the fight against dangerous fakes in e-commerce requires proactive measures by the platforms. SHOP SAFE takes an important step in ensuring that what consumers see online is what they will get as reported in chapter 1. Counterfeit goods infringe on IPR, and can harm the U.S. economy and threaten consumer safety. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB), the U.S. agency tasked with enforcement against counterfeits at the border, has reported that the annual number of small packages sent to the U.S. since fiscal year 2013 more than doubled, and small packages seized often contain counterfeit goods. Chapter 2 examines: how elements of the EU and U.S. approaches to combating counterfeit goods in small packages compare, any enforcement challenges posed by these goods, and the extent to which CBP has taken steps to address these challenges. Chapters 3 and 4 examine counterfeit medications.