U.S. Department of Justice Promotes International Network to Combat Intellectual Property Crime

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Building upon the successes of earlier efforts, the U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening in Bangkok of a regional conference of approximately 100 key law enforcement and industry officials from more than a dozen nations with the goal of strengthening international cooperation in fighting large-scale intellectual property crimes. The Justice Department organized the gathering with the assistance of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Department of State. Justice Department prosecutors will be joined at the conference by officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

High-level prosecutors, police and customs officials from the United States, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macao, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are participating in the conference, which seeks to enhance cross-border cooperation in the fight against intellectual property theft through the enhancement of the IP Crimes Enforcement Network (IPCEN), which was established in 2007.

The IPCEN serves two primary functions. First, the network facilitates the exchange of successful investigation and prosecution strategies in combating domestic piracy and counterfeiting crimes. In private sessions this week, panels of law enforcement experts will share best practices and lessons learned in addressing retail counterfeiting and piracy, the mass production and distribution of counterfeit goods, theft of trade secrets, Internet-based intellectual property theft and border enforcement strategies. Second, the IPCEN will strengthen communication channels to promote coordinated, multinational prosecutions of the most serious offenders.

In recognition that effective prosecution of intellectual property crime depends heavily on cooperation between victims and law enforcement authorities, industry representatives will also address the conference regarding the scope and severity of counterfeiting crimes in Asia, and discuss ways to collectively enhance enforcement efforts.

The IPCEN conference reflects the continuing outreach efforts of the Justice Department’s Attaché and IP Law Enforcement Coordinator for Asia, Christopher P. Sonderby, and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. More information about the Department’s efforts to combat intellectual property and computer crime can be found at www.cybercrime.gov.