Intellectual property security

CBP, ICE Report More Than $1 Billion Of Intellectual Property Rights Seizures

Today, on Intellectual Property Day, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took the opportunity to remind the public of the gravity of the threat of IP theft and its negative impact on the American economy.

ICE runs the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), a task-force agency founded in 2000 to coordinate America's response to intellectual property theft and its enforcement of international trade laws.

The IPR Center supports ICE agents conducting investigations to identify, disrupt and dismantle entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of illicit counterfeit products. The center brings together 23 partner agencies, consisting of 19 key federal agencies, Interpol, Europol and the governments of Canada and Mexico.

“Intellectual property enforcement is a team effort between US government agencies, international customs authorities and members of industry,” said IPR Center Director Bruce Foucart. “The IPR Center is committed to providing training and outreach to domestic and international agencies, education the public on the dangers of counterfeit goods and supporting field investigations by affording agents with all possible resources.”