A new report due to be published by the government today will say that international intellectual property crime is on the rise, but that measures introduced by UK authorities in the last two years are making it harder for pirates to operate over here.
The National Intellectual Property Enforcement Report will, erm, report that the UK IP Crime Group, established back in 2004, continues to fight a "tough battle" but that, with 500,000 intelligence reports filed on IP violations in the last nine months, it is increasingly identifying individuals and groups behind IP piracy. It will also claim that a new nationally accessible database tracking IP Crime is helping to further locate and prosecute the pirates.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville, who will launch the new report, told CMU: "We suspect that all international crime organisations are now involved in counterfeiting. The Government's message to these criminals is that the UK is no longer a safe environment for you. Our joint intelligence will lead to more surprise raids in markets and other locations and the authorities will take action against those involved."
With IP Crimes seemingly on the rise on a global basis the report will also call on consumers to help by refraining from buying what they suspect are pirated goods, stressing that IP piracy is not a "victimless crime".
Commenting on the report, Ron Gainsford of the UK's Trading Standards Institute, added: "Whilst the focus is often on music or DVD piracy, there is even more worryingly, a large increase in fake goods which are dangerous to the health and safety of consumers. We need to bring about a change in public opinion in that it is NOT acceptable to purchase or trade in counterfeit or pirated goods."