Counterfeiting funds organized crime and terrorism

You can see why stopping the explosion of counterfeits remains one of our top priorities.

Counterfeiters have a different view of the world. Their entire business model is based on stealing somebody else’s innovation and identity, so it is with little remorse that they exploit workers, engage in wage theft, employ shoddy factories, dump hazardous waste into rivers and lakes, and use dangerous chemicals.8 When they lure folks into buying their fake products, they often dabble in more thievery, exposing consumers to financial scams.9 The fact that authentic brands invest so much in social and ethical effort only widens the profit margins of counterfeiters since they are often able to score a sale, without paying for any of the compliance that they are duping customers into believing has occurred. What happens to the profit of these ill-gotten gains? They become the seed capital for organized crime, terrorist activities, and yet more counterfeit activity.10 This is exactly why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under former President Trump issued the “Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods” report11 and why President Biden has called for more to be done to verify third-party sellers’ information and to impose liability on online marketplaces.12 Protecting consumers, businesses, and American jobs has been – and should be – a bipartisan issue.