TORONTO, ON, CANADA — CSA International, a product testing and certification organization, has published a white paper discussing the threat posed by counterfeit products and counterfeit product approval marks. The paper was written by Manny Gratz, special investigations and anti-counterfeiting manager for the CSA Group.

According to CSA International, counterfeit products have become increasingly common in North America in recent years, despite the efforts of manufacturers and custom officials to combat the problem. Imitators sometimes use counterfeit approval marks on products, which can potentially expose consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and product specifiers to safety-related risks.

The white paper lists examples of unsafe products that have been found bearing counterfeit product approval marks and describes some of the safety and legal hazards posed by these products. The paper also describes how CSA International and the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) are working together to combat the problem.

For more information, visit www.csa-international.org (website).

Publication date: 12/16/2002