Bipartisan Bill Aims to Stop Imports of Two-Step Counterfeit Shoes and Apparel
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced a bill Dec. 5 that would give CBP the authority to seize imported merchandise that is not using other companies' trademarks but…
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is otherwise identical to a branded product. The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America hailed the bill. “Relying on seizures based on just trademark rights is no longer effective. Counterfeiters around the world have become more creative, shipping identical looking products without the trademark and then attaching traditional trademarks after it clears U.S. customs,” FDRA said. Margo Fowler, chief intellectual property officer for Nike, was quoted in the FDRA press release about why the bill would help CBP: "It would enable them to identify and seize intended counterfeits that copy Nike’s products protected by U.S. design patents."