ANSI Report addresses fight against global counterfeiting.
Press Release Summary:
In an effort to identify and communicate cross-sector solutions to this global challenge, ANSI has published a free report, "Best Practices in the Fight against Global Counterfeiting: An Action Guide to Strengthen Cooperation and Collaboration across Industry Sectors and among Global Supply Chains." Recommendations range from standardization of supply chain procedures and strengthening compliance, to support for law enforcement, increased education, and greater public-private collaboration.
Original Press Release:
In the Fight against Global Counterfeiting, Newly Released ANSI Report Comes Out Swinging
Action Guide Provides Best Practices for Cross-Sector, Collaborative Solutions
Counterfeiting is a growing global concern that crosses all borders and victimizes government, businesses, and consumers alike. Estimates put the economic cost to U.S. companies alone at $250 billion, and annual American job loss at 750,000. Safety risks, health issues, and the operation of dangerous criminal enterprises make counterfeiting even more damaging to people around the world.
In an effort to identify and communicate cross-sector solutions to this global challenge, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has published a free report, Best Practices in the Fight against Global Counterfeiting: An Action Guide to Strengthen Cooperation and Collaboration across Industry Sectors and among Global Supply Chains. The document is now available as a free download on ANSI's website.
This report is the product of a 2010 ANSI workshop and conference on anti-counterfeiting, which set out to define the scope of the problem and identify standards and conformance-based solutions that can be applied across industries and market sectors. Representatives from industry, trade organizations and associations, academia, consumer groups, law enforcement, and government agencies shared their experiences, exchanged insights, and developed consensus conclusions on needs and effective steps to strike back against the counterfeiting threat.
Best Practices in the Fight against Global Counterfeiting outlines those recommendations in the form of an action guide of concrete steps to assess and address counterfeiting across industry sectors. From standardization of supply chain procedures and strengthening compliance, to support for law enforcement, increased education, and greater public-private collaboration, fighting counterfeiting is a war on all fronts. Traditional methods of oversight and enforcement are simply not enough; all affected parties must play a proactive role and work together for solutions.
"The rapid growth and sophisticated organization of counterfeiting operations is increasingly threatening legitimate business and the health and safety of millions of people," said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "Over the past year, ANSI has brought together the cross-sector experts needed to identify and address counterfeiting and facilitate the means to combat it. The resulting report provides businesses, organizations - anyone with something at risk of counterfeiting - with a tool to take concrete action."
ANSI began this work in April 2010 with a Workshop on Anti-Counterfeiting Standards and Conformance Measures: Developing a public-private partnership for addressing gaps in the global supply chain. And in September the Institute hosted a one-day conference, Crossing Borders and Sectors: Exploring Robust Anti-Counterfeiting Solutions, as part of its annual World Standards Week events. Representing everything from consumer goods and pharmaceuticals to aerospace electronics and certification marks, participants and attendees at both events agreed that taking stronger action and increasing cooperation and communication are key to reducing counterfeiting in the U.S. and abroad. With the release of this report, agencies, businesses, and organizations now have a framework for proactive steps they can take toward mitigating the counterfeiting threat and protecting their assets.
About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.
The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
