The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Crime Prevention Council collaborate to raise awareness about counterfeit goods

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) are collaborating to raise public awareness of the dangers related to and damage caused by purchasing counterfeit goods.

Counterfeit items are illegal replicas of real products, designed to deceive and take advantage of the superior value of genuine merchandise. The public may not know that counterfeit goods threaten consumers' health and safety, hurt the U.S. economy, and support international organized crime.

Mary Boney Denison, Commissioner for Trademarks, announced this exciting new collaboration to increase public awareness and to combat counterfeits at USPTO's June 6 Forum on Brand Protection and Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies. This event had some 400 total participants, both in-person and online.

Together with the USPTO, the NCPC will create an anti-counterfeiting campaign using public service advertising (PSAs) to include television, radio, outdoor, social media, and digital messaging directed to consumers. The campaign will also provide educational materials and tools to NCPC's network of crime prevention practitioners and law enforcement officers who, in turn, will use those resources to teach their communities about the dangers of counterfeit goods.

"The health and safety risks of counterfeits to the consuming public are a huge concern," said Denison, "as is protecting the investment of brand owners in their products. Fakes cheat the brand owner and the consumer. By working with NCPC and McGruff the Crime Dog®, we want to make sure the public is aware of the importance of intellectual property to our economy and global trade and the dangers of buying fakes."

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with USPTO to engage the public in the battle against dangerous counterfeits," said Ann M. Harkins, President and CEO of NCPC. "That's what we're here to do with this campaign ? protect the public by raising awareness and changing buying behavior."

About USPTO
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.

About National Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention Council is the nonprofit leader in crime prevention. For almost 40 years, our symbol of safety, McGruff the Crime Dog®, has delivered easy-to-use crime prevention tips that protect what matters most?you, your family, and your community. Since 1982, NCPC has created public education campaigns with over $2 billion in donated media and distributed crime prevention messages to its network of more than 15,000 state and local law enforcement agencies, crime prevention associations, community groups, foundations, and corporate partners.  For more information on how NCPC can be a public safety expert for you or how to "Take A Bite Out of Crime®," visit www.ncpc.org.

SOURCE National Crime Prevention Council