Brand protection and law enforcement at the heart of UL

Two events hosted by UL on intellectual property (IP) crime training and brand protection in San Diego in June 2011 attracted almost 150 attendees, including UL clients, key law enforcement partners, brand protection specialists and other stakeholders.

Mr. Clyde Kofman, Senior Vice President of UL Commercial Operations opened the events and welcomed the participants to San Diego. In his opening remarks, he stressed that "for UL, safety is the first  concern we see. With our mission of promoting safe living and working environments around the globe, we are greatly concerned about the proliferation of counterfeit products entering the stream of commerce."  He emphasized that it is important to work together to get behind a common response and that cooperation and coordination are critical elements in combating the global IP crime problems.  

Manufacturers, including UL clients, have seen an increase in the amount, scope and nature of products appearing in the marketplace with counterfeit trademarks. The objectives of the two training events were to encourage and enable public and private stakeholders to take a more proactive role in understanding and communicating counterfeit and IP crime issues in order to effectively mitigate their harmful consequences not only on public safety, but also on corporate resources, reputation and bottom line.

The two training events were UL Brand Protection Summit and UL Law Enforcement IP Crime Workshop.

The Brand Protection Summit conveyed the message that enforcement, education, and partnerships are the three primary enablers to provide a practical framework for rights holders to use as a foundation for the design, implementation and operation of an effective brand protection program. 

The Law Enforcement IP Crime Workshop was organized in partnership with the U.S. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.  The Workshop included presentations, panels and case studies with a focus on best practices that can be utilized by police, customs and prosecutors to effectively investigate and prosecute counterfeiting and piracy offences.

With a focus on providing attendees with current trends and best practices being utilized internationally for combating IP crimes, the events featured international IP crime experts who shared operational methodologies, best practices and case studies highlighting the latest developments in brand protection solutions, technologies, strategies and law enforcement investigative techniques. The Summit and Workshop included speakers from INTERPOL, Europol, Hong Kong Customs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, Mexican Customs, Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department along with a host of other agencies and brand protection service providers.

Participants found the events particularly beneficial in the way that they addressed the IP crime problem at a "grass roots" level.  They left the events armed with the latest insights and perspectives on IP crime as well as practical solutions designed to strengthen their brand protection and enforcement programs.

For information, please contact Warren MacInnis.