Intellectual Property Office
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UK Intellectual Property Office Helps Tackle IP Crime

UK Intellectual Property Office Helps Tackle IP Crime

UK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 16 October 2008

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO) is playing an active part in helping the recently established Global Prosecutors' E-Crime Network (GPEN) which consists of a database of e-crime prosecutors, a forum for exchanging advice, and e-crime material, to overcome intellectual property crime.

The UK-IPO is working in partnership with the Crown Prosecution Service in providing a portfolio of IP training material. The Network's activity will lead to more successful prosecutions in the fight to overcome the current multi billion intellectual property crime business.

David Lammy, Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property said:

"IP crime is a serious economic crime which needs to be tackled on a worldwide basis. The GPEN initiative provides an ideal opportunity to address this.

This will ensure prosecutions are effectively managed and enforcement agencies can take informed decisions on targeting the criminal network.

I am delighted that the UK Intellectual Property Office is taking an active part in the development of GPEN by contributing IP training material to fight IP Crime."

This initiative reinforces the UK-IPO's commitment to supporting and developing a partner agency approach in the ongoing fight against IP crime. The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property (recommendation 44) pointed to the need to provide more training to the criminal courts on the complexities of IP. This partnership will mean that UK prosecutors as well as global prosecutors will have access to a broad range of IP training material.

Editors notes

* The initiative follows up the commitments set out in "Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy" published earlier this year by the Departments for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

* The UK Intellectual Property Office web site can be found at http://www.ipo.gov.uk

* For enquiries about the UK Intellectual Property Office press or media activities please contact the Communications Team on 01633 814041.

* GPEN has been developed by the high-tech crime unit of the UK Crown Prosecution Service's international division in conjunction with the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP). GPEN is already set up and will go live in January 2009 http://www.gpen.info/index2.php. It will comprise of a database of e-crime prosecutors, a forum for exchanging advice, and host e-crime material including a virtual training college and legal guidance.

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