Toy Association Urges Congress to Include IP Safety Provisions in Final USICA-COMPETES Bill

June 22, 2022 | The Toy Association submitted a letter to congressional leaders on June 21 urging for the inclusion of critical provisions in their final China competitiveness legislative package that will fight the threat of counterfeit products.

The Toy Association called for the inclusion of the SHOP SAFE Act and the INFORM Consumers Act, both of which incorporate recommendations from The Toy Association’s 2020 IP White Paper and emphasize the need for increased seller vetting and consumer transparency for third-party marketplaces to protect families from potentially dangerous counterfeits sold online. The two bills have already garnered bipartisan and bicameral support.

The letter also called out specific examples from Toy Association members that have been negatively impacted financially by the influx of counterfeit toys being sold online. One small toy company based in the Northeast found 1,000 counterfeit listings on six online marketplaces in a single week, while a large toy company with U.S. headquarters in California reported taking down on average 1,000 counterfeit items from online marketplaces every month for each of its brands.

The Toy Association has been a vocal advocate against counterfeit toys, and the issue remains a top year-round priority. Beyond its work on Capitol Hill, the Association collaborates with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies on anti-counterfeiting measures to reduce the number of fake toys entering the country. Most recently, the Association testified virtually before the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), urging the Commission to seek additional funding to address oversight on dangerous counterfeit products coming into the U.S. The Association also educates consumers throughout the year on how to spot and avoid fake toys sold online.

"Quite simply, U.S. businesses cannot compete with counterfeiters because of the quality of materials, the cost of safety assurance testing, and other costs associated with bringing a legitimate and safe product to market,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association, in the letter. “The time for action to curb the flow of counterfeits and protect American businesses as well as the safety of children and families is now.”

For more information on The Toy Association’s advocacy work on counterfeits and IP protection, visit thetoyassociation.org/advocacy.