Overall Dip In IP Crime Thanks To Successful Partnerships, UK IP Office Says

By Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch

The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office in conjunction with the IP Crime Group, made up of representatives from industry, law enforcement and government, have released official figures illustrating a decrease in the number of intellectual property crimes reported over the last year.

According to an IPO press release, this demonstrates that intellectual property enforcement bodies have succeeded in combatting IP crimes in numerous areas, particularly in markets they consider “hotspots for IP crime”.

The Minister for Intellectual Property, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said in the release that “IP Crime is not victimless. It includes the public buying counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes which can even be fatal.”

The IP Crime Report 2014/15 highlights the initiatives employed to combat counterfeiting and piracy.

The progress made this year was attributed by Giles York, deputy chief constable of Sussex Police and Association of Chief Police Officers IP Crime, to the “co-ordinated action” of the IP Crime Group in working together with all relevant stakeholders.

Moreover, 2014-15 saw the launch of numerous successful partnerships involving the IPO, according to the UKIPO press release, such as the Police Intellectual Crime Unit’s “Operation Creative” which prevented websites from providing unauthorised access to copyrighted content.

Marianna Drake is an intern at Intellectual Property Watch and DiploFoundation. She has an LLB Honours in Law from King’s College London where she developed an interest in information technology law, internet governance and internet related intellectual property issues.