Protecting Consumers from Counterfeits

On July 14, the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF), along with 11 other cross-industry associations, sent a joint letter to six congressmen to advocate for multiple anti-counterfeiting awareness measures. The first, Senate Resolution 314—which establishes July as National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month—passed unanimously on July 18. The authorizing resolution was introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and was cosponsored by Congressional Trademark Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI). “We applaud the Senate’s recognition and we encourage everyone in the numismatic community—collectors, dealers, and coin clubs—to help in creating awareness of the harmful effects of counterfeits in our marketplace,” says ACEF President John Albanese. “By sharing knowledge about how to identify counterfeit coins and fake paper money, we as a concerned community can play a role in making our hobby and marketplace safer.”

Funding & the IPEC

In addition to addressing SR-314, the letter also seeks to preserve funding for the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) and requests that the Trump administration appoint an IPEC before the end of 2025. The letter addresses Tillis, Grassley, and Coons, as well as Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), , Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA). 

The letter emphasizes the essential role of the IPEC office in American business since its inception in 2008, preventing global intellectual property (IP) infringements, counterfeiting, and piracy. Particularly, the letter’s authors advocate for appointing an IPEC to the White House, a role that has been vacant since 2021. The reduction in IPEC funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget is another significant concern for the letter’s authors. They argue that “the IPEC office plays a vital role in ensuring a strategic vision at home and abroad as American IP-intensive companies face growing threats.”

The 12 signatories to the letter includes Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, The International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, The Partnership for Safe Medicines, Personal Care Products Council, Plumbing Manufacturers International, and the TIC Council.