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IP Crime - Issues
IP CRIME - ISSUES
Fighting IP crime matters because: it causes economic, social and physical harm to individuals and local communities, nationally and globally
it's regarded as a low-risk 'soft' crime, but is part of a much bigger picture
the huge profits from IP crime are used to fund other serious organised crimes such as people smuggling, drugs, guns, child pornography and even terrorism
It is up to us, as consumers, to stop the trade in fakes; then the major criminals responsible for this global threat will be forced to look elsewhere for their easy profit.
That cheeky chappie on the market stall is just the tip of a very nasty iceberg. The fake trainers you buy for your kids today may fund the supply of drugs at their school gates tomorrow.ACG's awareness campaigns therefore focus on three main issues:
CONSUMER HEALTH & SAFETY
The important trust you have in a known manufacturer doesn't apply to fakes, which are low-calibre goods, with no comeback when they fall apart.
More seriously, over the last five years, there has been an exponential increase in the number and nature of fake goods available worldwide.
The public is now at risk from untested, poor quality fake goods of all kinds, which we all buy every day, including food and drink, car parts, children's toys and clothing, power tools, mobile phone and appliance batteries, health, beauty and fashion products.
There is an enormous cost worldwide in lost revenues, damage to legitimate businesses and effect on employment. It has been estimated that profits from counterfeiting annually are equivalent to the total spend worldwide on tourism.
After many years of campaigning, IP crime is now recognised by HM Government as a serious organised crime in its own right, and it is now included in the annual UK Threat Assessment This means that, in time, more resources may be available to fight it.
The ringleaders of this illegal trade in fakes launder their huge profits to fund all kinds of other crimes on a global scale, including drugs, guns, child pornography and people-smuggling. Interpol has reported to the US Government, and to Brussels, that it even has evidence of clear links between counterfeiting and terrorist cells in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.