WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy this week released recommendations on steps companies can take to protect their supply chains from counterfeiters and modern-day pirates.

The Chamber’s new “No Trade in Fakes Supply Chain Tool Kit: Protecting Businesses, Consumers, and Brand Integrity,” includes best practice guidelines and seven case studies of companies that devised and implemented aggressive techniques to fight counterfeiting and piracy and protect themselves and their customers. Participating companies included Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, New Balance, Ford and Purdue Pharma. The tool kit will be distributed to more than a million members of the business community over the next month.

“Our tool kit provides both large and small companies with useful, effective ways to prevent their products and services from being counterfeited or pirated,” said David Hirschmann, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We have culled best practices from some of America’s leading companies to help others fight this growing problem.”

Pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, for example, uses armored vehicles equipped with global positioning systems and counter-surveillance teams to transport their products and keep them out of the hands of criminals.

A downloadable PDF of the Tool Kit is available by clicking here: http://www.thetruecosts.org/portal/truecosts/resources/supplychain

For more information about the U.S. Chamber, go to: http://www.uschamber.