CSA Group, a leading testing and certification organization dedicated to public safety announces its official support of the Federal Government of Canada’s introduction of the new Combating Counterfeit Products Act, which proposes changes to the Trade-marks Act and the Copyright Act to prohibit the import and export of counterfeit trademark goods. The proposed changes in the Bill would give customs border officers the legal authority and discretion to search for, examine, and temporarily detain commercial shipments of suspected counterfeit goods at the border.

CSA Group is a founding member of the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) and, as a member, it works in cooperation with other stakeholders to bring the issue of the dangers posed by counterfeits to the attention of government, the legal community, law enforcement and the Canadian public in order to raise awareness and enact positive changes. It has worked proactively through the association to promote awareness with Members of Parliament to help increase legislative enforcement of counterfeiting and intellectual property crimes and has previously presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

“CSA group welcomes the Bill, which provides much needed new tools for CBSA officers to proactively stop harmful counterfeit goods before they enter Canada,” says RJ Falconi, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, CSA Group. “Use of these fake products can put consumers at real risk of injury or death, particularly products that have not been tested to safety standards and bear fake CSA certification marks. Canada needs this proposed stronger legislation that is outlined in the Combating Counterfeit Products Act to help stop the proliferation of dangerous counterfeit goods.”

CSA Group works closely with law enforcement organizations and regulators in Canada, the U.S. and internationally to identify and stop the distribution of counterfeit products that may bear a fake CSA Group certification mark. A legitimate mark lets consumers know that a product has been tested to the applicable standard for safety and performance.

In Canada, all electrical and gas products must be certified and marked in order to be sold legally. Counterfeiters know that in order to fool consumers into thinking products are certified, they must fake not only a brand name but also a certification mark. Because the fakes are not certified, they may not contain required safety features or use toxic materials, putting consumers at risk of injury or death.

In addition to being a founding member of CACN, CSA Group is also a member of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition and a coalition of certification organizations that is partnered with INTERPOL called CIAC – the Certification Industry Against Counterfeiting.

About CSA Group

CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit member-based association dedicated to advancing safety, sustainability and social good. We are an internationally-accredited standards development and testing & certification organization. We also provide consumer product evaluation and education & training services. Our broad range of knowledge and expertise includes: industrial equipment, plumbing & construction, electro-medical & healthcare, appliances & gas, alternative energy, lighting and sustainability. The CSA mark appears on billions of products around the world.

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Contact

Anthony Toderian
Manager, Corporate Affairs
CSA Group
416-747-2620
[email protected]