Justice Dept Issues Reports on Its FY 2010 Efforts to Combat IP Crime
The Justice Department has released the annual Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO IP) Act1 reports, which describe the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) activities in combating crimes involving intellectual property (IP), and their steps to take to address IP crime in fiscal year 2011.
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IP Investigation and Prosecution Overseas Improved Through Cooperative Efforts
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has worked closely with other federal agencies to improve IP enforcement overseas, including: training investigators and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of IP crimes, contributing to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 process of evaluating the adequacy of U.S. trading partners’ criminal IP laws and enforcement regimes; helping to catalogue and review the U.S. government’s IP training programs abroad; and implementing an aggressive international program to promote cooperative enforcement efforts with U.S. trading partners and to improve substantive laws and enforcement regimes in other countries.
FBI Has 486 Pending IP Investigations Involving Counterfeit Aircraft Parts, Etc.
The report notes that as of September 30, 2010, the FBI had 486 pending IP investigations. The report also highlights certain investigative cases involving the illegal distribution of counterfeit network hardware from China, counterfeit certification marks and aircraft parts, and the sale and distribution of copyrighted media, such as movies, software, and e-books.
FBI IP Investigations to be Strengthened Through Industry Relationships, Etc.
The report states that, the FBI is now better positioned to strategically and aggressively investigate the domestic and international criminal organizations that profit from the theft of IP. Its efforts to address the IP threat, ensure quality training, and support effective interagency collaboration through strategic placement of IP investigative resources will be enhanced through stronger industry relationships, strategic planning in the collaborative environment of the National IPR Coordination Center (NIPRCC), and improved interactions with U.S. international law enforcement partners.
1The PRO IP Act imposed a number of requirements upon the Attorney General, including the production of an annual report detailing actions the Department has taken to implement Title IV of the Act and “a summary of the efforts, activities, and resources the Department has allocated in the five years prior to the date of enactment of the Act, as well as the one-year period following such date of enactment.” The Act imposed a similar separate requirement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 01/13/11 news, 11011314, for BP summary of White House IPR enforcement actions 2010 highlights.)
Department of Justice PRO IP Act Final Report FY 2010 available here.
FBI PRO IP Act Final Report FY 2010 available here.