The Toy Association™ Advocates for Movement on SHOP SAFE Act

Owen Caine at brand protection seminarApril 17, 2024 | The Toy Association’s Owen Caine, vice president of government affairs, addressed industry priorities for combating counterfeit products during the 12th Brand Protection Excellence Forum. The panel was hosted by BrainLinx and took place in New York City on April 16.

During the session, titled “Protecting Children’s Brands in the Digital Age,” Caine explained the importance of the passage of the INFORM Act last year and highlighted the necessity for Congress to pass 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 SHOP SAFE Act was most recently reintroduced in the Senate by the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property last October and awaits a vote out of the committee. 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.

“Advocating for legislative measures that combat the proliferation of counterfeit products is one of The Toy Association’s top priorities,” Caine said. “The passage of the INFORM Act was a crucial step, but our work is far from over. The SHOP SAFE Act is essential in holding online platforms accountable and ensuring the safety of consumers.”

Caine’s session was part of a two-day conference, featuring other discussions and networking opportunities, that brought together senior brand protection, IP, and security professionals throughout the supply chain to discuss the current state of IP and brand protection.

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