CHAPTER 62
HOUSE BILL No. 2596
An Act concerning counterfeiting; relating to criminal penalties;
concerning civil forfeiture;
amending K.S.A. 60-4104, 60-4105 and 60-4116 and repealing
the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) Counterfeiting
is intentionally manufacturing, us-
ing, displaying, advertising, distributing, offering for sale,
selling or pos-
sessing with intent to sell or distribute any item or services
bearing or
identified by a counterfeit mark.
(b) A person having possession, custody
or control of more than 25
items bearing a counterfeit mark shall be presumed to possess such
items
with intent to sell or distribute.
(c) Any state or federal certificate of
registration of any intellectual
property shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated
therein.
(d) As used in this section:
(1) ``Counterfeit mark'' means:
(A) Any unauthorized reproduction or copy
of intellectual property;
or
(B) intellectual property affixed to any
item knowingly sold, offered
for sale, manufactured or distributed, or identifying services
offered or
rendered, without the authority of the owner of the intellectual
property.
(2) ``Intellectual property'' means any
trademark, service mark or
trade name as such terms are defined in K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 81-202,
and
amendments thereto.
(3) ``Retail value'' means the
counterfeiter's regular selling price for
the item or service bearing or identified by the counterfeit mark.
In the
case of items bearing a counterfeit mark which are components of a
fin-
ished product, the retail value shall be the counterfeiter's
regular selling
price of the finished product on or in which the component would
be
utilized.
(4) The quantity or retail value of items
or services shall include the
aggregate quantity or retail value of all items bearing, or
services identi-
fied by, every counterfeit mark the defendant manufactures, uses,
dis-
plays, advertises, distributes, offers for sale, sells or
possesses.
(e) (1) Counterfeiting of the
retail value of less than $500 is a class
A nonperson misdemeanor.
(2) Counterfeiting of the retail value of
at least $500 but less than
$25,000; that involves more than 100 but less than 1,000 items
bearing a
counterfeit mark; or on a second violation is a severity level 9,
nonperson
felony.
(3) Counterfeiting of the retail value of
$25,000 or more; that involves
1,000 or more items bearing a counterfeit mark; or on a third or
subse-
quent violation is a severity level 7, nonperson felony.
(f) This section shall be part of and
supplemental to the Kansas crim-
inal code.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 60-4104 is hereby
amended to read as follows: 60-
4104. Conduct and offenses giving rise to forfeiture under this
act,
whether or not there is a prosecution or conviction related to the
offense,
are:
(a) All offenses which statutorily and
specifically authorize forfeiture;
(b) violations of the uniform controlled
substances act, K.S.A. 65-
4101 et seq., and amendments thereto;
(c) theft which is classified as a felony
violation pursuant to K.S.A.
21-3701, and amendments thereto, in which the property taken was
live-
stock;
(d) unlawful discharge of a firearm,
K.S.A. 21-4219, and amendments
thereto;
(e) money laundering, K.S.A. 65-4142, and
amendments thereto;
(f) gambling, K.S.A. 21-4303, and
amendments thereto, and com-
mercial gambling, K.S.A. 21-4304, and amendments thereto;
(g) counterfeiting, section 1, and
amendments thereto;
(h) an act or omission occurring
outside this state, which would be a
violation in the place of occurrence and would be described in this
section
if the act occurred in this state, whether or not it is prosecuted
in any
state;
(h) (i) an act or
omission committed in furtherance of any act or
omission described in this section including any inchoate or
preparatory
offense, whether or not there is a prosecution or conviction
related to the
act or omission;
(i) (j) any
solicitation or conspiracy to commit any act or omission
described in this section, whether or not there is a prosecution or
con-
viction related to the act or omission.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 60-4105 is hereby
amended to read as follows: 60-
4105. The following property is subject to forfeiture:
(a) Property described in a statute
authorizing forfeiture;
(b) all property, including the whole of
any lot or tract of land and
any appurtenances or improvements to real property that is
either:
(1) Furnished or intended to be furnished
by any person in an
exchange that constitutes conduct giving rise to forfeiture; or
(2) used or intended to be used in any
manner to facilitate conduct
giving rise to forfeiture;
(c) all proceeds of any conduct giving
rise to forfeiture;
(d) any property derived from any
proceeds which were obtained
directly or indirectly from the commission of an offense listed in
K.S.A.
60-4104, and amendments thereto;
(e) all weapons possessed, used, or
available for use in any manner
to facilitate conduct giving rise to forfeiture;
(f) ownership or interest in real
property that is a homestead, to the
extent the homestead was acquired with proceeds from conduct
giving
rise to forfeiture;
(g) contraband, which shall be seized and
summarily forfeited to the
state without regard to the procedures set forth in this act;
and
(h) all controlled substances, raw
materials, controlled substance an-
alogs, counterfeit substances, or imitation controlled substances
that have
been manufactured, distributed, dispensed, possessed, or acquired
in vi-
olation of the laws of this state.; and
(i) any items bearing a counterfeit
mark.
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 60-4116 is hereby
amended to read as follows: 60-
4116. (a) If no proper claims are timely filed in an action in
rem, or if no
proper answer is timely filed in response to a complaint, the
plaintiff's
attorney may apply for an order of forfeiture and allocation of
forfeited
property pursuant to K.S.A. 60-4117, and amendments thereto. Upon
a
determination by the court that the seizing agency's written
application
established the court's jurisdiction, the giving of proper notice,
and facts
sufficient to show probable cause for forfeiture, the court shall
order the
property forfeited to the seizing agency.
(b) After final disposition of all claims
timely filed in an action in rem,
or after final judgment and disposition of all claims timely filed
in an
action in personam, the court shall enter an order that the
seizing agency
has clear title to the forfeited property interest. Title to the
forfeited
property interest and such property's proceeds shall be deemed to
have
vested in the seizing agency on the commission of the conduct
giving rise
to forfeiture under this act.
(c) If, in the discretion of the
plaintiff's attorney, such plaintiff's at-
torney has recognized in writing that an interest holder has an
interest
that is exempt from forfeiture, the court, on application of the
plaintiff's
attorney, may release or convey forfeited personal property to a
regulated
interest holder on all of the following conditions:
(1) The interest holder has an interest
which was acquired in the
regular course of business as an interest holder.
(2) The amount of the interest holder's
encumbrance is readily de-
terminable and the amount has been reasonably established by
proof
made available by the plaintiff's attorney to the court.
(3) The encumbrance held by the interest
holder seeking possession
is the only interest exempted from forfeiture and the order
forfeiting the
property to the seizing agency transferred all of the rights of the
owner
prior to forfeiture, including rights of redemption to the seizing
agency.
(4) After the court's release or
conveyance, the interest holder shall
dispose of the property by a commercially reasonable public sale,
and
within 10 days of disposition shall tender to the seizing agency
the amount
received at disposition less the amount of the interest holder's
encum-
brance and reasonable expense incurred by the interest holder in
con-
nection with the sale or disposal.
(d) On order of the court forfeiting the
subject property, the seizing
agency may transfer good and sufficient title to any subsequent
purchaser
or transferee, unless satisfied and released earlier, subject to
all mort-
gages, deeds of trust, financing statements or security agreements
of rec-
ord prior to the forfeiture held by an interest holder and the
title shall
be recognized by all courts, by this state, and by all agencies of
and any
political subdivision. Likewise on entry of judgment in favor of a
person
claiming an interest in the property that is subject to proceedings
to forfeit
property under this act, the court shall enter an order that the
property
or interest in property shall be released or delivered promptly to
that
person free of liens and encumbrances under this act and the
person's
cost bond shall be discharged.
(e) Upon motion by the plaintiff's
attorney, if it appears after a hear-
ing there was reasonable cause for the seizure for forfeiture or
for the
filing of the notice of pending forfeiture or complaint, the court
shall
cause a finding to be entered that reasonable cause existed, or
that any
such action was taken under a reasonable good faith belief that it
was
proper, and the claimant is not entitled to costs or damages, and
the
person or seizing agency who made the seizure, and the plaintiff's
attor-
ney, are not liable to suit or judgment on account of the seizure,
suit or
prosecution.
(f) The court shall order a claimant who
fails to establish that a sub-
stantial portion of the claimant's interest is exempt from
forfeiture under
K.S.A. 60-4105, and amendments thereto, and to pay the reasonable
costs
and expenses of any claimant who established such claimant's
interest is
exempt from forfeiture under K.S.A. 60-4105 and to pay the
reasonable
costs and expenses of the seizing agency for the investigation and
litigation
of the matter, including reasonable attorney fees, in connection
with that
claimant.
(g) If more than one law enforcement
agency is substantially involved
in effecting a forfeiture pursuant to this act, and no interagency
agree-
ment exists, the court shall equitably distribute the proceeds
among such
agencies.
(h) Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, upon the request of
the intellectual property owner, all seized items bearing a
counterfeit mark
shall be released to the intellectual property owner for
destruction or
disposition. If the intellectual property owner does not request
release of
seized items bearing a counterfeit mark, such items shall be
destroyed
unless the intellectual property owner consents to another
disposition.
Sec. 5. K.S.A. 60-4104, 60-4105 and
60-4116 are hereby repealed.
Sec. 6. This act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
Approved April 5, 2000.
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