Innovation Asset Blog

UK organizations collaborate to cut down on IP, trademark violations

A report from MusicWeek.com detailed a new project by the U.K.'s Intellectual Property Office and Crown Prosecution Service aimed at reducing trademark and copyright violations in the country.

While more people are being targeted by prosecution for intellectual property crimes, some believe the government would rest on its current control levels. However, the government has taken this progress as a sign that more can be done with an aggressive pursuit of IP criminals.

According to the news provider, more than 350 prosecutors in the U.K. are currently undergoing training tailored to pursuing guilty verdicts in IP crimes.

"These offenses are not victimless crimes," minister for intellectual property Judith Wilcox told MusicWeek. "They have a detrimental effect on consumers, businesses, the economy and growth. Consumers are likely to receive poor-quality or even unsafe products that simply aren’t worth the price."

Many people involved in IP lawsuits and litigation fail to recognize that their use of illegal music or other media costs their nation's economy substantially.

Lax IP laws could discourage researchers and other innovators from pursuing patents for their work. A number of experts have urged governments and international bodies to be more strict with IP enforcement to help the global economy grow.

Peter Ackerman

Peter Ackerman

Founder & CEO, Innovation Asset Group, Inc.