The most difficult business challenges aren't the ones you expect, it's the ones that take you by complete surprise that can be the most damaging. That's why you should start paying attention to the threat of counterfeiting and piracy, crimes that make you a victim long before you realize it, and often with devastating consequences.


It's time to move this issue up your priority list because the problem is growing, destroying brand names, sapping the economy, and threatening public health and safety.


Have you heard about the counterfeit cell phone battery that exploded in a California teenager's face resulting in serious injuries? Or the Chinese counterfeiters that nearly destroyed a small machine cutting business in Buffalo, New York, by stealing their patented design, right down to the color of their equipment? Or the fake baby formula that sickened children in China?


I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't. The biggest obstacle to combating counterfeiting and piracy is educating people about the pervasive threat it poses.


Communicating the facts is easy enough … counterfeiting and piracy cost the economy $250 billion a year and have destroyed 750,000 jobs. Any product that is sold successfully can be counterfeited or pirated by a band of clever, technologically sophisticated criminals who operate all over the world. Pharmaceuticals, brake pads, airline parts, batteries, electrical equipment, movies, software, clothing - you name it, it can be counterfeited or pirated.


The U.S. Chamber has made this issue a top priority because so many of our members - large, mid-size, and small - have demanded it. They're suffering real consequences from a problem that many still believe is merely downloading songs illegally off the Internet or buying a fake handbag from a street vendor.


We've launched a three-pronged attack against the problem. We're working to educate the public, bolster enforcement, and tackle the issue at some of its biggest sources overseas. Click here to learn about what we're doing, or join us for our upcoming third annual anti-counterfeiting and piracy summit on September 28 and 29.


But the bottom line is this: We'll never successfully combat counterfeiting and piracy until people understand they're a serious problem. Imagine if a group of people decided they were no longer going to obey traffic signals and no one raised a fuss? There would be chaos. The same thing, in a way, is happening with counterfeiting and piracy, except under the radar. A select few are disobeying the rules and we hardly notice. We need to start opening our eyes and say: Enough!