2009 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference
The 2009 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference was held in Dublin Ireland from September 29th through October 1st. 390 delegates from 44 countries attended the 3-day event, which focused on combating Intellectual Property Crime. In its third year, the theme of the 2009 Conference was "Making a Difference - Delivering Operational Success". The Conference was Co-hosted by INTERPOL, An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The Conference was the first of its kind in Europe, featuring a series of key operational workshops, bringing together specialist IP crime investigators, prosecutors and experts from both the public and private sectors.
Led by IP Crime experts, the 2009 Conference featured interactive workshops designed to engage and challenge the delegates to focus on solutions for defeating counterfeiting and piracy crimes. The workshops were operationally driven and featured case studies and best practices. Delegates had the opportunity to engage each other to foster increased cooperation and forge new international partnerships. It became apparent that the need for public and private sector partnerships is more important than ever to defeat transnational organized IP Crime.
Describing intellectual property crime as a ‘thriving multi-billion dollar global industry' closely linked to transnational organized crime, INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said that counterfeiting and piracy affected all sectors of society and required a global co-coordinated response. The INTERPOL Chief added that while all types of counterfeiting were harmful, ‘the counterfeiting of medical products is certainly the most cynical and evil form of this type of crime'. INTERPOL's partnership with the World Health Organization within the framework of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT) is an example of bridging the gap between the public health sector, national police forces, customs and the private sector. Mr. Noble went on to state, "As with other transnational crimes, no single country can effectively fight the production and sale of counterfeit products. The solution must involve all stakeholders - the public and private sectors, international bodies, and non-governmental organizations - at the national and global levels, for counterfeiting is a global menace which law enforcement alone cannot address."
Ireland's Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, welcomed the opportunity to hold the conference in Dublin and emphasized the impact that intellectual property crime has on individuals, businesses and governments. "Too often intellectual property crime is thought of as a victimless crime. However, the stark reality is that individuals put their health and safety in the hands of criminals when they purchase or use counterfeit products," said Commissioner Murphy.
With the conference providing ‘an empowering environment' against the growing international challenge of counterfeiting, Northern Ireland's newly-installed Chief Constable of the Police Service, Matt Baggott, stated, "Intellectual Property Crime affects all our lives in all manner of ways. It is being used by organized criminal gangs to line their own pockets with huge profits and it knows no boundaries - moral, criminal or international."
Keith Williams, the President and CEO of Underwriters Laboratories said that today's economic climate meant that public and private organizations were now combating IP crime with less resources, leading to increased global opportunities for international counterfeiting and piracy networks - ‘a global epidemic' requiring international co-operation and partnerships.
INTERPOL has taken the lead in coordinating efforts and facilitating enforcement actions around the globe to combat IP Crime. They are continually seeking out new solutions and partnerships and have been instrumental in developing leading edge strategies and programs to overcome the challenges associated with these complex crimes. The 2009 Conference was an incredible success and delegates from around the world took away many operational strategies, formed new partnerships and will have the opportunity in the future to further develop the alliances that were made in Dublin.
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