The Financial Times reports that the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills will provide £2.5m over two years to fund the dedicated anti-piracy unit at City of London Police -UK’s principal police force investigating economic crime.
Adrian Leppard, commissioner of CoLP, said that the new unit will target gangs rather than individual users and attempt to cut off the money supply.
Criminal activity
The unit will identify illegal sites and then approach advertisers and payment-system suppliers in order to choke criminal activity.
‘They will immediately act, mainly because if they don’t, there’s a risk that they will be supporting money laundering,’ Mr Leppard said.
CoLP will also liaise with the US Department of Homeland Security and European authorities in an attempt to cut down on piracy, which accounts for losses of around $80bn globally every year.
Welcome step
Jonathan Radcliffe, IP partner at international law firm Mayer Brown, told The Post: 'The creation and funding of this new unit to tackle intellectual property crime is good news for all, ensuring that the UK stays at the forefront of intellectual property enforcement.
'Organised IP infringement can really damage industries that are a vital part of the UK economy, ranging from counterfeit drugs to high-tech components through to the creative industries such as music and fashion, so this a welcome step forward in helping these businesses to thrive.'
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