News
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
3/31/2011
By Darlene Bremer In 2007, negotiations began among a mix of developed and emerging economies, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, ... Read More
Anti-counterfeiting Packaging Technologies
3/4/2011
In its report titled “Anti-Counterfeit Packaging: A Global Strategic Business Report,” California-based Global Industry Analysts Inc., projects that the global anti-counterfeit packaging ... Read More
Customs and Border Protection’s IPR Enforcement Priority
2/1/2011
To fight the flow of counterfeit and pirated goods and protect the country’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of U.S. businesses and the livelihoods of U.S. workers, and the health and ... Read More
Testing Finds High Failure Rate in Electrical Performance of Imported CAT6 Copper Patch Cords
1/11/2011
Toward the end of 2010, the Communications Cable & Connectivity Association announced that it had completed a large-scale, electrical performance testing of Category 6 copper patch cords. Test ... Read More
OSHA Rejects European SDOC Method of Ensuring Electrical Product Safety
12/28/2010
On December 17, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it will not abandon its system for ensuring that electrical products used in the ... Read More
Siemens Continues its Support of Electrical Product Industry Anti-Counterfeiting Initiatives
12/2/2010
“We want to send a clear, unequivocal message to our residential and industrial markets: Siemens is serious about circuit breaker safety,” said Kevin Yates, vice president, Siemens ... Read More
Covering the Gray
11/30/2010
What’s the best way to lessen exposure to liabilities posed by gray market products? Buy directly from the manufacturer.
Read MoreCounterfeit Circuit Breakers Removed From Market
11/2/2010
During the past half year, GE Industrial has received returned residential circuit breakers because of nuisance tripping.
Read MoreSchneider Electric Continues to Fight the Good Fight
10/12/2010
For Schneider Electric, the main product area affected by counterfeit products is with its Square D circuit breakers. And while much progress against counterfeit electrical products has been made ... Read More
IACC Focuses Efforts on Intellectual Property Rights
9/7/2010
The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), Washington, D.C., is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted solely to protecting intellectual property (IP) and deterring ... Read More
NEMA Helps Channel Combat Counterfeits
8/3/2010
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) advocates for the creation and enforcement of measures that remove counterfeit products from the marketplace and penalizes those that traffic ... Read More
CSA International Certifications and Identifying Counterfeits
7/7/2010
Certification marks tell potential customers and users that a product has been evaluated by a formal process involving examination, testing, and follow-up inspection, and that it complies with ... Read More
Combating Counterfeit Certifications
6/3/2010
Do you know the mark of a counterfeit? Do you know what the UL label actually means and how to spot a fake one? Find out in this article.
Read MoreNASA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Measures Fall Short of Validating Parts Authenticity
6/1/2010
At this year’s NASA Project Management Challenge, presenters documented how counterfeit parts have impacted NASA’s and the U.S. military’s products and programs to the tune of ... Read More
All Industry Anti-Counterfeiting Initiative Launches During National Electrical Safety Month
5/11/2010
A new advocacy campaign endorsed by leading electrical industry organizations will keep the dangers of counterfeit products top-of-mind for electrical contractors and distributors over the next ... Read More
Working With Confidence: Counterfeits
May 2010
The adage, “the best defense is a good offense,” is not just good advice on a level playing field. It will help a contractor from becoming a victim of counterfeit electrical goods. It ... Read More
A Look at Legislation
4/26/2010
While the term counterfeiting has traditionally been applied most commonly to currency and coins, it also applies to reproductions of packaging when the intent is to defraud or violate protections ... Read More
Finance and Commerce Interviews Publisher John Maisel
9/25/2009
Finance and Commerce features a story about counterfeit electrical products, and staff writer Brian Johnson interviewed John Maisel, publisher of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine. Read John's comments ... Read More
Jury Finds Major Reseller of Electrical Products Guilty of Selling Counterfeit Square D Circuit Breakers
7/7/2009
Schneider Electric announced that on June 25, 2009, a jury in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis found Breakers Unlimited Inc., of Noblesville, Ind., guilty of purchasing and selling counterfeit ... Read More
Frank Abagnale Discusses Counterfeit Products
5/12/2009
Since May is National Electrical Safety Month, Frank Abagnale, the subject of the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can, starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, stopped by to help us remind ... Read More
ITC Judge Finds Violation of Pass & Seymour/Legrand GFCI Patent Rights
4/23/2009
Pass & Seymour/Legrand (P&S), a provider of electrical wiring devices and home systems, announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a final decision that a number of ... Read More
Anti-Counterfeiting Webinar A Success
April 2009
On April 14, 2009, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and TED magazines hosted a free Webinar on counterfeit electrical products. Short of a few minor, "regular" technical difficulties, the Webinar was ... Read More
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR To Host Webinar for the Anti-Counterfeit Products Intiative
3/30/2009
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and TED magazines are hosting a free, one-hour Webinar on counterfeit electrical products on April 14, 2009, at noon, EDT. Registration is free. Read More
Counterfeit Electrical Products Rank Fifth on List of 2008 Seizures
1/12/2009
In January 2009, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its annual report on intellectual property rights (IPR) seizure statistics report for fiscal year 2008. Read More
White Paper: How to Spot a Counterfeit Breaker
1/6/2009
Counterfeiting is a significant problem, and it's growing exponentially as counterfeiters become more sophisticated and more brazen. According to the FBI and other authorities, ... Read More
Alcan Cable Series of White Papers Spreads the Anti-Counterfeit Word
12/19/2008
Alcan Cable has provided a series of helpful white papers on the counterfeit electrical products problem. They are attached here as .pdfs. Choose among the following files to download to your ... Read More
Spot the Fake
12/17/2008
According to Gallup Consulting and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 64 percent of counterfeit electrical goods are purchased at legitimate shops and retailers. And according to a 2007 Consumer Survey ... Read More
High-Risk Products
12/17/2008
Counterfeit products are so common in today’s marketplace that many people take them for granted. Indeed, some consumers are happy to purchase cheap imitations of expensive designer clothing ... Read More
Collaring Counterfeiters is Everybody's Business
12/17/2008
Government officials, association executives and manufacturers are convinced of two things when it comes to counterfeit electrical products: First, the problem is enormous, growing and pervasive; and ... Read More
Brand Protection at the Border
12/17/2008
For brand owners faced with counterfeit products made overseas, building a relationship with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prevent importation of fake products is critical to the brand ... Read More
Labels Make a Difference
12/17/2008
Counterfeit electrical products can be difficult to distinguish from their genuine counterparts because inferior components often are hidden from view. However, one good guarantor of authenticity is ... Read More
White Paper: Consequences of Using Non-Conforming Electrical Building Wire
12/17/2008
Over the past several years, the North American electrical products industry has experienced an influx of products produced in various parts of the world that do not meet the safety and performance ... Read More
United We Stand—Divided We Fall
12/17/2008
The alarm is sounding. Counterfeit electrical products threaten everybody. With the safety and integrity of the electrical manufacturing and supply industry at risk, chief associations, ... Read More
Update: The Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act
12/17/2008
The electrical supply channel can better protect itself from counterfeit products by sharing information and encouraging active prosecution of counterfeiters around the globe. Read More
Ignorance Is No Excuse
12/17/2008
Should personal injury or property damage result, one can expect to be sued for negligence, gross negligence, intentional misrepresentation, strict liability in tort, unfair and deceptive trade ... Read More
Choose a Safe Alternative
12/17/2008
Electrical dealers receive calls from distributors looking for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) product that is on back order, oversold or is not offered by the dealer. The customer may have ... Read More
Shared Responsibility
12/17/2008
Mid-fiscal year (FY) 2008 statistics released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection this past May show that seizures of consumer electronics and electrical products that infringed on intellectual ... Read More
Counterfeiting and Piracy: How Pervasive Is It?
12/17/2008
Industry experts and government officials estimate that counterfeiting and piracy is growing worldwide, and the cost to the nation, companies and consumers is alarming. From counterfeit prescription ... Read More
Modern-Day Piracy
12/17/2008
The view that buying counterfeit products can be a victimless crime is a fantasy. There are victims, and there is criminal profiteering, not unlike that of the of 17th-century buccaneers. Read More
White Paper: Schneider Electric Fights Back Against Counterfeit Manufacturers
12/17/2008
When Schneider Electric found counterfeits of its Square D QO circuit breakers in the United States, we quickly took action. Within a short period of time, we filed 13 lawsuits against 27 U.S. ... Read More
The China Challenge
12/17/2008
China’s immense size and its history as a closed society have made it the subject of a number of urban legends and fanciful speculations. However, there are some current, verifiable statistics ... Read More
