Toy Association Praises Administration’s Commitment to Cracking Down on Counterfeit Goods

April 4, 2019 | The Toy Association supports a new White House memorandum that aims to curb the online sale of knockoff goods. Signed by President Trump on April 3, the memorandum seeks recommendations for reducing the trade of counterfeit and pirated goods, including those that are sold through online third-party marketplaces, and aims to expand and enhance existing efforts to better address the scale, scope, and consequences of counterfeit and pirated goods trafficking.

“The Toy Association together with our members work year-round with government and leading e-commerce platforms to combat the problem of counterfeit toys, yet these dangerous products which do not comply with U.S. safety standards continue to be sold. To be clear, they pose a significant safety risk to children and a financial risk to the entire toy community,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “We appreciate the Administration’s actions on this critical issue as we work toward the ultimate goal of ensuring that only safe, compliant toys are getting into the hands of children. We stand ready to work with the Administration, share the toy industry’s experiences, and ultimately eliminate dangerous counterfeit toys and children’s goods.”

The Toy Association supports federal initiatives currently underway to: improve the targeting of low value shipments; work hand-in-hand with global customs authorities to improve enforcement; help companies protect their brands; and inform toy consumers on how to protect their children from unsafe, knockoff toys.

More information on the issue is available in The Toy Association’s recently published white paper, “The Real Threat of Fake Toys: The Increase in Knockoff and Counterfeit Toys Sold Online & How to Fight Back.”

Members with questions on this topic are invited to reach out to The Toy Association’s Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs.