Fact sheet – What the Combating Counterfeit Products Act Means for Consumers and the Public

The Combating Counterfeit Products Act will help and protect Canadian consumers and their families in several ways.

Health and safety: The Bill protects consumers and their families from potentially harmful counterfeit goods by giving border officers additional tools to detain these commercial goods for civil and regulatory enforcement. Counterfeit trademark goods are not only harmful to the economy, but they also are often made without regard to Canadian health and safety standards.

Organized crime: Organized crime groups use the profits from counterfeit goods to support a litany of other crimes, including drug trafficking and firearms smuggling. The Bill provides the RCMP with new tools to combat the threat posed by counterfeit goods when there are grounds to believe there are links to organized crime.

Prohibition of counterfeit labels: The Bill makes it illegal to make, import, export or possess counterfeit labels. Instead of importing goods with counterfeit trademarks attached to them, some counterfeiters import the goods and the trademarks (on labels) separately and attach them once in Canada. The Bill will make it illegal to import counterfeit labels into Canada if those labels are to be used for the purpose of sale or commercial distribution.

Exception for personal use: The Bill provides a specific exception at the border for individuals importing or exporting counterfeit trademark goods, which are intended for personal use, as part of their personal baggage. However, every person who supports counterfeiting, at any level, hurts the Canadian economy and risks his or her health and safety. There is also a possibility that these goods are connected with organized crime, which often profits from the sale of counterfeit goods. The measures in this Bill are designed to help federal agencies and rights holders target their efforts to confronting criminals who gain commercially from the sale of these goods.