Register your trademarks
Critical to the protection of a trademark is registration of the mark with the governmental authority in the countries where your products are sold.   Your company counsel can assist you with the registration of your trademark in the United States with United States Patent and Trademark Office or abroad.  The Government offers helpful information on its StopFakes website about your legal rights and registration of a trademark.  

Develop in-house training programs for your company and establish an intellectual property protection program
NEMA has sponsored the development of training programs for members to help them understand their legal rights, how to recognize when counterfeiting may explain a loss of sales, and how to organize an intellectual property program to address the problem.  NEMA members may log into NEMA’s Counterfeiting Forum to access these materials.  Contact Cla_Silcox@nema.org for further information.

Get engaged with NEMA’s Anticounterfeiting Coalition
NEMA members may network with their peers on legal, public policy, and benchmarking best practices in confronting this criminal activity.  Contact Cla_Silcox@nema.org.                                

Record your registered trademark with US Customs
The Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is charged with excluding counterfeit and infringing products at ports of entry in the United States.  Before CBP can protect you, your registered trademark must be recorded with U.S. Customs.  Prepare and file your recordation with CBP now, if you have not done so already, using the trademark recordation template.

File a criminal complaint with US Customs
You can file a complaint with BCP online if you suspect illegal counterfeiting. Visit the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.     

Train CBP inspectors to educate them about your intellectual property rights  Contact: Cla_Silcox@nema.org for further information.  
                  
Find enforcement specialists abroad
NEMA is a member of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of companies, trade associations, and other interested parties, whose mission is to deter counterfeiting and piracy of intellectual property.  This provides NEMA with networking opportunities, including references to intellectual property attorneys and investigative specialists around the world, who can assist you in protecting your intellectual rights outside of the United States.  Contact:   Cla_Silcox@nema.org for further information. 
                            
Solve a counterfeit enforcement problem in a particular country
NEMA’s Government Affairs Department has the capability to find the right person in the U.S. Government to assist you in communicating your concerns to foreign governments.  Contact: Joh_Meakem@nema.org