City of London Police
Today sees the launch of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit. The aim of the new unit is to target Intellectual Property crime, which currently costs the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
The unit is being funded by the Intellectual Property Office, which is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and run by the City of London Police.
On its first day of operation the unit arrested 2 men in the early hours in Birmingham, on suspicion of importing and selling counterfeit DVD box sets with a value of £40,000.
Minister for Intellectual Property, Lord Younger said:
“Criminals are continually finding new ways to exploit, produce fakes and abuse the intellectual property rights of British businesses, despite the progress made combating IP crime. It not only damages the UK economy, but substandard goods and services can pose real threats to consumers too. Intelligent, co-ordinated and effective enforcement is key to tackling those who exploit the hard work of others.”
“Stopping the growth of online piracy and counterfeit goods in the UK is one of my main priorities. The new IP crime unit, funded by the IPO and launched today by the City of London Police, will make a real difference in the fight against online IP crime.”
“Working with the City of London Police, which has recognised expertise in tackling economic crime, demonstrates this Government’s commitment to supporting business, protecting consumers and delivering economic growth. I look forward to seeing the results that this unit will deliver over the next two years.”
“Around seven million people a month visit sites offering illegal content in the UK. Globally, it is projected that digitally pirated music, films and software will account for losses of around $80bn –this is expected to rise to $240bn by 2015.”
If you need advice about IP protection or advice about how to deal with infringement of your rights please contact us.
