Interpol sets up new conference to aid fight against IP crime
November 19, 2001 - IFPI has welcomed Interpol's setting up of the first ever conference dedicated to fighting intellectual property crime internationally.
The conference was held in Lyon, France on November 15 and 16. National police forces from all over the world met with rights holders' bodies to discuss improved coordination in the fight against piracy. Customs representatives from a number of countries were also present.
Interpol was mandated by the conference to set up a working group early next year with membership drawn from right holders' groups and enforcement authorities. It will look at taking practical anti-piracy action, with information support and assistance from rights holders.
Music piracy is an illegal international business worth more than US$4 billion. Much of the world's pirate traffic is backed by organised crime. It is estimated that one in three units sold globally is a pirate copy.
Conference delegates included representatives of the WTO, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), major fashion houses, pharmaceutical companies and the motion picture industry. IFPI's Head of Enforcement Iain Grant co-chaired the conference with Vincent Poon, Deputy Commissioner, Hong Kong Customs and Excise.
Grant says: "Interpol has recognised the massive increase in the volume of counterfeited goods produced and the establishment of more distribution networks and the consequent damage done to legitimate business. Crucially, they have also acknowledged the involvement of organised crime and terrorist groups in piracy. We hope the new working group will lead to a more coordinated response to the problem."
Conference topics included piracy in the optical disc industries, anti-piracy initiatives in the digital age, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, the EU's policy on IPR, and country reports from Spain, Croatia, Belgium, Ukraine, France, Japan, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Ireland and Canada.
- IFPI represents the international recording industry through a network of regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami and Moscow,
representing over 1,400 member companies in more than 75 countries. It also has national groups in 46 countries.
- Interpol, the international police organisation, is a major player in international law enforcement with 178 member states linked by a sophisticated, secure messaging system. Special databases give national police forces access to information about crimes and criminals internationally.
For further information please contact:
Fiona Harley, IFPI Communications, tel: +44 20 7878 7900