Industry Minister, Jacqui Smith, has unveiled the UK's first intellectual property (IP) crime strategy.
Intellectual property crime cheats consumers, costs jobs and helps fund organised crime. Piracy and counterfeiting, including DVDs, perfumes, clothing and alcohol, costs the UK economy billions of pounds and undermines the success of many of the UK’s best companies.
The national strategy, developed by the Patent Office, brings together brand owners, police, trading standards and customs to:
> increase the sharing of intelligence between different agencies;
> improve training for those working at the front-line;
> better co-ordinate the agencies involved in the fight against intellectual property crime; and
> monitor progress and success by publishing an annual national enforcement report.
Jacqui Smith, Industry Minister, said:
"Pirates and bootleggers cheat consumers and place a drain on our economy. We cannot and we will not simply turn a blind eye to copyright and trade mark crime."
"Intellectual property crime is not victimless. As well as cheating consumers, the trade in counterfeit goods costs UK companies billions of pounds and thousands of jobs every year. That is why we are working together with industry and law enforcement agencies to clamp down on this illegal trade."
Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science and Innovation, said:
"I am greatly heartened by the speed with which the Patent Office has been able to pull together such a broad range of interests so quickly to deliver this important strategy. Clearly a common purpose is shared by the police, customs, trading standards and many brand owners to co-ordinate their efforts to best effect. This bodes well for our fight against IP crime."
The chairman of EMI Group, Eric Nicoli, is the music industry representative on the Government’s recently founded Creative Industries IP Forum. He said:
"We are very encouraged that the Government is taking steps to help Britain's creative industries tackle the theft of intellectually property and we welcome this latest enforcement initiative from the Patent Office."
Bryan Lewin, TSI Lead Officer for Intellectual Property at the Trading Standards Institute said:
"Counterfeiting is a global business run by highly-organised serious criminals using it as a low-risk way of laundering money and raising funds for other criminal activities. To tackle crime at this level, Trading Standards, the industry and other enforcement agencies must adopt an equally organised and co-ordinated approach. The National IP Crime Strategy will help to achieve this objective."
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group is one of the many organisations working with the Patent Office. ACG Director General Ruth Orchard said:
"Rights owners estimate that last year alone counterfeiting and piracy cost the UK economy £10 billion and 4,000 jobs. With this strategy in place, and the goodwill fostered by all the partners, we have a real chance to take the fight back to the criminal gangs who are defrauding consumers and rights owners."
Earlier this year the European Parliament passed a new IP Enforcement Directive. It concerns measures to deal with infringement of copyright and trade marks on a wilful, substantial and/or commercial scale, i.e. counterfeiting and piracy by e.g. criminal gangs. The Directive harmonises penalties across the EU, and establishes better co-operation between the enforcement agencies of the Member States. The Patent Office will be consulting the UK public and industry on the implementation of the Directive later this year.
The Patent Office is committed to helping with the training of Trading Standards Officers with regard to Intellectual Property (IP) crime, and to facilitating intelligence sharing between Enforcement Agencies (e.g. Police or Customs) and the brand owners. For example, the Patent Office is developing a database of key contacts so that the right named individuals can be contacted speedily to inspect a seized delivery of suspect goods held by Customs Officers. The Patent Office is also helping to develop a training package for brand owners showing 'best practice' in filing evidence and building a case when prosecuting counterfeiters and pirates.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group represents over 200 manufacturers, distributors, licensees and retailers who share intelligence and work with law enforcement agencies including the Police, Trading Standards Officers and HM Customs & Excise to combat the trade in pirated and counterfeit goods. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group raises awareness of the harm done by this illegal trade both to the economy and to consumers, and also provides an extensive range of contacts and advice on legal affairs, consumer affairs and product security (e.g. watermarks, holograms etc).
Related Links;
The IP Crime Strategy document is available from this link
Source: Public Technology Net
