EAST LANSING, Mich. — MSU’s Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program has established an industry advisory board to provide external advice and support to A-CAPPP in the development and application of strategic goals and specific objectives.
A-CAPPP was created after industry leaders challenged Michigan State University to serve as the intellectual leader and to create the interdisciplinary platform of research, education and outreach needed to combat product counterfeiting and intellectual property rights violations around the world.
“The advisory board will enable us to expand our efforts while simultaneously ensuring that they best meet the needs of industry,” said Jeremy Wilson, director of A-CAPPP. “The participation of our board members demonstrates their commitment to advancing anti-counterfeit strategy, thereby promoting the safety of communities, health of consumers, financial stability of economies and sustainability of private industry.”
Several corporations on the forefront of brand protection, including Qualcomm, General Motors Co. and Johnson & Johnson, are serving in leadership roles on the board.
“I am pleased to be a part of the A-CAPPP industry advisory board and I look forward to working with Michigan State University to help in establishing strategic goals and objectives towards advancing the mission of MSU and the A-CAPPP program,” said David Howard, global director of brand protection at Johnson & Johnson.
Steven Davis, vice president of Qualcomm Global Security, said, “Collaboration with MSU and the other corporate members of the A-CAPPP industry advisory board will enable us to enhance our efforts to globally monitor and identify counterfeit, gray market and intellectual property right violations related to Qualcomm products and technology. The IPR and anti-counterfeit concepts, strategies and programs that are born from this relationship will have a long-term benefit for academia and industry.”
The board will provide input on directing and refining A-CAPPP’s programs and help it secure partners, market its programs, raise support for its activities and elevate its stature.
“Through collaboration with brand owners, we identified a research need that goes beyond the tactics to focus on interdisciplinary strategies to reduce the root causes of this crime,” said John Spink, associate director of A-CAPPP. “Brand owners have continually encouraged us to provide support in developing, defending, and adapting a holistic and all-encompassing approach to reducing their fraud opportunity.”
For more information on the A-CAPPP program or board membership, call (517) 432-2204 or e-mail Wilson at jwilson@msu.edu.
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