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Protecting Public Health and Safety

Predatory and illegal intellectual property (IP) trade practices affect every aspect of our lives. The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) leads the U.S. government's response to stop global IP theft and enforce trade laws.

Comprised of federal agencies and industry experts, the IPR Center develops initiatives, coordinates enforcement actions and shares information related to intellectual property (IP) theft. It also stops predatory, illegal trade practices that threaten the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and national security.

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By the Numbers

IP theft is not a victimless crime. Victims are American consumers, businesses, trademark holders and people who manufacture and sell legitimate products. Often, the illicit proceeds resulting from the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products are funneled back to support a broad range of illegal crimes. Every day, the IPR Center works with industries and agencies to stop IP theft that threatens U.S. businesses, robs hardworking Americans of their jobs and negatively impacts the economy. From criminal arrests to the seizure of goods, the numbers tell the story.

Criminals sell pirated merchandise and counterfeit U.S. products around the globe. And, while it seems harmless to buy a knock-off purse, an inexpensive electronic device or cheaper medication, these trade practices threaten the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and national security by introducing harmful and banned materials into counterfeit products and supporting illegal labor practices. The U.S. government created the IPR Center to stop predatory and illegal trade practices.

By bringing together domestic and international government agencies and private industry partners, the IPR Center presents a unified force to combat global intellectual property theft and enforce IP rights violations. The IPR Center was established to combat global IP theft and, accordingly, has a significant role policing the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods on websites, social media, and the dark web.


IP PROTECT

Learn how IP Project can help small businesses protect themselves from intellectual property theft, fraud and cyber-attacks.

If you represent a small business or organization wanting to learn more about IP Protect, please click on the button below.

More Information


RECENT NEWS

2024/03/21 12:47:00 UTC

Avoiding more than $1 million in duties, tariffs brings guilty pleas

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – An investigation conducted jointly between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-San Juan and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has uncovered a conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States to avoid paying more than $1 million in duties and tariffs.

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2024/03/20 12:56:00 UTC

Leader of animal trafficking ring sent to prison following investigation by HSI Houston, federal partners

HOUSTON – The leader of an animal trafficking ring has been sentenced to federal prison for selling endangered wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Houston, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.

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2024/03/20 12:52:00 UTC

HSI Philadelphia-led investigation leads to seizure of domains used for alleged drug trafficking

PHILADELPHIA- Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Seattle field offices, along with HSI-Brussels, and the National Police Force of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, coordinated the international takedown of four domain servers allegedly used to sell fake pharmaceutical grade drugs. Some of the drugs contained methamphetamine and fentanyl and were unlawfully distributed across the United States.

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**The appearance of any non-federal entities and/or reference to vendors does not constitute, imply, or infer endorsement or sanction of their products or services by the IPR Center, DHS, or the federal government.