WASHINGTON-- The United States Senate yesterday passed the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act. This legislation, cosponsored by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), will make it a crime to traffic in counterfeit labels or packaging, even when shipped separately from the products to which they are later attached.Reed stated, By extending criminal liability to those that manufacture and intentionally traffic goods and services, this bill will help protect our economy and the innovations of American entrepreneurs and manufacturers.This is an important milestone. The counterfeiting of goods and the stealing of intellectual property and proprietary processes has been hurting the United States manufacturing community, and it has to stop, stated Al Lubrano, Chairman of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association. Passage of this act makes it very clear to those pirating and counterfeiting that there will be punitive measures. The bill will now be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.