Our role in IP crime

National IP Crime Strategy

The Government's Innovation Review published in December 2003 required the Intellectual Property Office, a non prosecuting authority, with developing a new national strategy to tackle IP crime through effective collaboration and co-ordination. The strategy was launched in 2004 and has brought a greater focus and prioritisation in relation to Intellectual Property (IP) crime.

Our objective is to create and co-ordinate an effective approach and raise awareness to IP crime. A collaborated approach between enforcement agencies, industry and Government is essential to combat the threat posed by IP crime, and the Intellectual Property Office administered National IP Crime Group seeks to meet this need.

We work to:

• Carry out our National IP Crime Strategy (260Kb) and publish an Annual IP Crime Report
• Bring together through the IP Crime Group Government, industry and enforcement agencies to create a co-ordinated approach to IP enforcement
• Establish an accurate measurement of IP crime within the UK
• Identify areas of threat and specific harm
• Support training for the enforcement community and spread best practice
• Build a more consistent approach to enforcement of IP crime
• Raise consumer awareness

Intellectual Property Crime Group

Founded in 2004, the Intellectual Property Office set up this specialist team consolidating resources to specifically discuss strategic policy issues, raise awareness of IP crime, identify and disseminate best practice, and co-ordinate enforcement activities.

Annual IP Crime Report

The IP Crime Group publish an Annual IP Crime Report, reviewing our progress and setting targets for future work. The new IP Crime Report for 2008/09 (1.83Mb) was launched at the Imagination Gallery on 25 June 2009.