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Intellectual Property Theft Investigations
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Counterfeiting has become the preferred method
of financing for terrorist organizations.”
- Christopher Zimmerman
Customs Expert European Commission
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Intellectual Property
Investigations
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property is a valuable, intangible asset
that may be owned, created or licensed by an individual
or organization. It is often a cornerstone of a
businesses reputation and prosperity.
The value and importance placed upon intellectual
property is increasing globally as organizations and
individuals seek to leverage off their reputation and
hard earned brand names to maintain and increase their
market share.
Intellectual Property takes many forms to include:
Patents
Copyrights
Trademarks
Trade Secrets
Design
Geographical indications
The trade in counterfeit goods such as Petroleum Jelly,
video and music CDs as well as purses and watches
heavily finances al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
Interpol has monitored a number of cases where Ethnic
Lebanese involved in the distribution and sale of
counterfeit goods in Paraguay and other South American
Countries remitted funds to the Muslim extremist group
Hizbollah.
In Northern Ireland, paramilitary groups such as the
Irish Republican Army (IRA), were known to control the
manufacturing and trafficking of counterfeit or pirated
goods through their links to organized crime.
By many accounts, intellectual piracy has become a major
source of financing for terrorists.
The organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development cited the trade in counterfeit goods amount
to approximately $450 billion dollars annually. Carratu
International estimates that the global counterfeit
market, which already accounts for 9% of world trade,
will double in size over the next two years.
The Corporate Crime Control Association offers remedies
to the negative effects of intellectual property theft
through investigations. Seeking the immediate assistance
of our specialized investigative team is essential to
prevent continual damage and financial loss.
Our Specialized Investigative Response Team (SIRT)
actively identifies sources/individuals engaged in the
sale of counterfeit merchandise. After permission has
been obtained we will then issue Cease and Desist orders
on behalf of our clients, obtain a voluntary seizure of
all of the products and involve law enforcement when
needed for a prosecution. We also obtained valuable
intelligence either by covert surveillance or in depth
interviews to identify and locate the suppliers. We can
then extend our investigation to a national or global
level through our vast investigative network. We work
closely with local, state and federal law enforcement
agencies and have a stellar reputation locally with
various county District Attorney’s offices.
Annually, our SIRT team members seize hundreds of
thousands of dollar worth of counterfeit goods.
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