UK Intellectual Property Office and South Wales Police join forces to fight Intellectual Property Crime
Staff from the UK- IPO will team up with South Wales police under a new initiative aimed at cracking down on Intellectual Property (IP) crime.
Under the partnership, Graham Mogg, Detective Constable in the Welsh Regional Intelligence Unit, will be joining UK-IPO on 1 August 2007 to help gather and share intelligence on potential IP crime and its perpetrators.
In addition to detecting and preventing crime and the prosecution of offenders, it is planned that the initiative will reduce the opportunity for those who want to commit IP crime.
Ian Fletcher, Chief Executive of the UK-IPO said.
“With the UK-IPO and police working together and the effective promotion of this initiative I am certain we can reduce the current level of IP crime.”
The Assistant Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Giles York added:
“By working in partnership and focussing on those committing crime we send a clear message to criminals. Do not commit crime, or the law will be there to deal with you.”
Trade mark counterfeiting and copyright piracy are serious Intellectual Property (IP) crimes that defraud consumers, damages the economy and cost the UK millions of pounds in lost business.
This new initiative is just one of many being undertaken in this area. The UK-IPO will shortly publish this year’s Enforcement Report which sets out a range of activities undertaken by police, trading standards, other government agencies and industry to tackle the threat posed by IP Crime.
Editor notes
- Details of National IP Crime Strategy can be found on this website.
- The Annual Enforcement Report aims to establish an accurate measurement of IP crime within the UK.
- Trade mark counterfeiting and copyright piracy are serious IP crimes that can cost government revenues, affect foreign investments, affect business profits and violate the rights of trademark, patent, and copyright owners.
- Fake products pose a significant safety threat to consumers worldwide. Unsuspecting customers and patients put their health, and even lives, in jeopardy each time they use fake medicines, alcoholic beverages, food products and travel in automobiles or aircraft maintained with substandard counterfeit parts.
- Intellectual property (IP) crime is a generic term used to describe a wide range of counterfeiting and piracy offences.
- For enquiries about the UK Intellectual Property Office press or media activities please contact the AIM Communications Team on 01633 814010
Date of release: 31 July 2007