After four years of successful efforts, Michigan State University’s program on anti-counterfeiting and product protection officially has been recognized as a center – a move that will spur further growth.
MSU approved the change in status for the newly named Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection this fall to provide the necessary framework for establishing an interdisciplinary, self-sustaining program of research and education with international recognition.
“A-CAPP’s new center status will help solidify it as a global leader in anti-product counterfeit and brand protection strategy,” said Jeremy Wilson, A-CAPP’s founding director and associate professor in the School of Criminal Justice.
The center was created after industry leaders challenged MSU to create an interdisciplinary platform of research, education and outreach to combat product counterfeiting and intellectual property rights violations around the world.
The global market for counterfeiting has risen from about $30 billion in the 1980s to as much as $600 billion today, according to estimates. In addition to harming companies’ bottom lines and taking jobs from people, counterfeiting can be a safety concern when the products involve tainted food and medication and deficient auto parts.
Among many successes in its first four years, A-CAPP has launched an industry advisory board with members that include DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, Qualcomm Inc., General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and Underwriters Laboratories; secured external support for dynamic research, education and outreach activities; and published many journal articles and industry reports.
“As a center, A-CAPP is poised to grow its team and expand its research and education programs, thereby further advancing science as it assists even more brand owners, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, consumers and other stakeholders,” Wilson said.
The center is supported by the MSU colleges of Social Science, Business, Engineering and Communication Arts and Sciences.