Intellectual Property Office
Overview: Napoleon once described us as a ‘Nation of Shopkeepers’ and in a sense that is still true today; we are hugely successful retailers of innovations and creative content. All of this activity, whether it’s the creation of household brands and innovative designs or publishing the latest blockbuster, must be underpinned by a robust and enforceable Intellectual Property regime and we have to adapt to the increasing importance of the online world. The UK is widely recognised as a world leader in enforcement of IP. Our ambition is to build on this success. To achieve this I am committed to improving our legal framework, providing support to law enforcers to enable them to tackle criminals and to building partnerships with our international counterparts, so we can meet this global challenge. I am pleased to see the great breadth and variety of enforcement activities that have taken place during 2014-15 and I would like to thank the IP Crime Group drawn from rights holders to law enforcement for their work. In particular there are a number of specific achievements that I’d like to highlight:
- The growing threat from social media that is being challenged by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group and their partners in initiatives such as Operation Jasper;
- The work of the Police IP Crime Unit with national and local partners to fight online crime. Domains are being seized, advertising is being blocked and criminals are being arrested in ever greater numbers;
- FACT’s work in investigating illegal access to subscription pay TV services such as those offered by BT Sport, Sky and Virgin Media;
- The ground breaking agreement between the China-Britain Business Council and Alibaba Group to bring more action against online vendors of counterfeit goods.
However, there is more to do. By its very nature, IP crime is challenging to detect and to counter. It is also highly adaptable and moves rapidly to take advantage of vulnerabilities in technology, legal frameworks and financial systems. I believe that by working in partnership, Government, law enforcement and industry can deliver an IP environment where legitimate businesses thrive and consumers are protected.
