This article first appeared in issue 12 (March/April) of
World Trademark Review
Although the United States provides a good legal framework
to fight counterfeiting, depending on the legal system alone is
often not enough. US brand owners must be diligent in the
prevention of the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit
products
The continuing problem of counterfeiting threatens brands in
every region of the world; the United States is no exception.
Counterfeiters do more than make fake products; they also hurt
the integrity of the brand, harm the brand owner's
reputation and erode sales of the legitimate product. While
some think that counterfeiting in the United States is a
problem for the owners of luxury brands only, the problem
affects every US industry, no matter how mundane. (The term
'counterfeit' as used in this article refers to
the use of an actual brand name without consent in order
