Today the Senate Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation to increase penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act responds to recommendations made by the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and the administration’s Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Inter-agency Working Group.
This legislation reflects the severity of the crime and what it does to the public by increasing the penalties for those trafficking counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Right now it is illegal to introduce counterfeits into interstate commerce and these are the same for those who traffic other products, like electronics or clothing. This act will specifically target the culprits who knowingly harm the United States public by bringing in counterfeits.
