WASHINGTON (April 15)—The House Judiciary Committee has agreed by voice vote to report an anti-counterfeiting bill to the full House.
The Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act, supported by virtually the entire auto aftermarket, would strengthen current anti-counterfeiting laws by mandating the destruction not only of the goods themselves, but also the equipment used to make them. It also would prohibit counterfeiting of labels, patches, stickers and other items bearing trademarks. The bill currently has 59 House co-sponsors.
The FBI estimates that product counterfeiting costs the U.S. more than $200 billion per year, including at least $12 billion in auto parts.