The Toy Association™ Pushes for Reintroduction of SHOP SAFE Act at Brand Protection Seminar

June 22, 2023 | The Toy Association’s Jennifer Gibbons, vice president of government affairs, showcased the Association's commitment to protecting consumers and combating counterfeit products at a panel during the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s (AAFA) Brand Protection Seminar held in New York City on June 21.

The panel, titled “Ensuring Consumers Are Safe and Informed,” provided a platform for industry experts to address crucial issues surrounding brand protection, illicit products, and intellectual property (IP) rights. Gibbons was joined by Karl Kammel, director of the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University, Colleen Devanney, partner at Vorys eControl, and moderator Jennifer Hanks, director of brand protection at AAFA. The session was part of the daylong seminar, featuring other panels and networking opportunities, that brought together brand enforcement specialists, general counsels, and intellectual property professionals to collaborate, strategize, and address pressing IP challenges across consumer products industries.

Gibbons highlighted the importance of the reintroduction of the SHOP SAFE Act, which emphasizes the need for online platforms to meet the same requirements and liabilities as traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. The bill was most recently included in the 2022 America COMPETES Act, but was removed before the final text was signed into law.

The goal of the SHOP SAFE Act is to reduce the availability of harmful counterfeit products online by incentivizing platforms to engage in best practices for vetting sellers and goods, addressing repeat counterfeiter sellers, and ensuring consumers have access to relevant information at the time of purchase.

For more information on The Toy Association’s advocacy work on counterfeits and IP protection, visit thetoyassociation.org/advocacy. Members may contact Jennifer Gibbons, vice president of government affairs at The Toy Association, with any questions.