The US had introduced legislation designed to reduce the traffic of counterfeit goods onto its soil.
The trade of counterfeit goods is thought to be worth around $500 billion globally and affects sectors as diverse as aerospace, automotive, electrical, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
The 'Stop Counterfeiting In Manufactured Goods' bill extends investigator's current powers, giving them search and seizure powers over not just the products but the equipment used to manufacture and ship them. This extends to box stickers and packaging, and closing the "import hole" that allowed counterfeiters to evade prosecution by separating the manufacture of products from the labeling process.
The law also makes it illegal to barter counterfeit goods, meaning that traffickers can no longer move counterfeit goods in return for any future service or goods.