intellectual property task force

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Language Icon

Watch Live at 11:30 a.m. ET: Results of Nationwide Law Enforcement Effort Press Conference

View the latest ICE guidance on COVID-19

ICE Check-in for Noncitizens

Get information about how to check in with your local ICE Office here .

Reportándose con ICE: Obtenga información sobre cómo reportarse a su oficina local de ICE aquí .

View in other languages

Home

Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE to report suspicious activity Report Crime

National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center

The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) stands at the forefront of the United States Government’s response to global intellectual property theft.

The mission of the IPR Center is to insure national security by protecting the public’s health and safety, the U.S. economy, and the war fighters, and to stop predatory and unfair trade practices that threaten the global economy.

To accomplish this mission, the IPR Center brings together the key U.S. investigative agencies involved in the federal criminal enforcement of IP laws in a task force setting. The task force structure enables the IPR Center to efficiently and effectively leverage the resources, skills, and authorities of each participating agency and provide a comprehensive response to IP theft. Partner agencies include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Army Investigative Command-Major Procurement Fraud Unit, General Services Administration-Office of Inspector General, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Defense Logistics Agency-Office of Inspector General, INTERPOL, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Government of Mexico Tax Administration Service. We also work closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

Economic Crime

The entry of goods into the United States is an integral part of the economic health of our nation. This country seeks to create full employment and economic prosperity through international trade and the opening of new consumer markets to U.S. goods. However, with the growth of international trade and open border policies comes an increased risk of border security compromises as well as threats to national security, and economic crime.

To meet these strategic goals, the IPR Center established objectives to improve the administration and enforcement of international trade laws and agreements. These objectives respond to predatory trade practices that endanger the public health and our economy, and restrict the competitiveness of the U.S. products in the global market.

Field Support Unit

The Field Support Unit executes the IPR Center’s command and control function for multi-jurisdictional, large-scale investigations. It is responsible for de-conflicting leads that are received at the IPR Center, and for coordinating investigative overlap with partner agencies. The Field Support Unit proactively targets the sale and distribution of counterfeit, substandard and tainted products via the Internet through a certified undercover operation, and it works closely with DOJ to prosecute IPR violators both domestically and internationally.

The FBI also houses their IP headquarters unit at the IPR Center. This unit has programmatic oversight over the FBI’s dedicated IPR field agents and has an operational component. The FBI’s priorities include counterfeit goods that pose a health and safety threat and theft of trade secrets.

Programs Unit

The IPR Center encompasses more than just intellectual property enforcement. It also manages and supports the ICE commercial fraud program, focusing on commercial importations involving false statements and deceptive business practices. The IPR Center has recognized that those criminals engaged in IPR violations are often involved in other types of commercial fraud violations. By combining these programs at the IPR Center, ICE is able to take a comprehensive approach to addressing these vulnerabilities. Fraud investigations are important components of an overall trade strategy whereby ICE and CBP concentrate on enforcing revenue protection and, increasingly, non-revenue protection laws and regulations.

Programmatic areas of responsibility include: health and safety crimes, in-bond diversion, tobacco smuggling, forced child labor, textiles, anti-dumping, and trade agreement enforcement.

Outreach and Training Unit

The Outreach and Training Unit handles all public facing for the IPR Center. As such, the unit’s responsibilities include building and maintaining partnerships with industry and law enforcement, coordinating domestic and international capacity building programs, and raising public awareness.

IPR Center personnel frequently participate in capacity building programs sponsored by the Department of State, USPTO (Global Intellectual Property Academy), DOJ, Interpol, and the World Customs Organization as IP enforcement Subject Matter Experts.

Policy Section

The Policy Section develops policy and guidance for the IPR Center and its operations, and further coordinates Departmental, Congressional, and interagency requests involving IP related matters. The Policy Section also provides input on domestic and international policy through their work with the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, the Special 301 Sub-Committee, and numerous international treaty committees and multilateral working groups.

Contact the IPR Center

Website: www.iprcenter.gov Email: [email protected] Report IP Theft: http://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ Mail: National IPR Coordination Center        2451 Crystal Drive, STOP 5105        Arlington, VA 20598-5105 Telephone: 1-866-IPR-2060

Local Footer Navigation

  • Information Library
  • Contact ICE

Initiative for Policy Dialogue

Intellectual Property

  • Publications
  • Description

Task Force Chairs

  • Mario Cimoli Professor of Economics Ca' Foscari University of Venice
  • Giovanni Dosi Professor of Economics Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa
  • Jerome Reichman Bunyan S. Womble Professor of Law Duke Law School

It is widely recognized that the objectives and means by which intellectual property regulations are established will determine, in part, whether poor countries are able to close existing knowledge, technology, and healthcare gaps in a manner consistent with the Millennium Development Goals. There is a real need to create an academic and non-ideological discussion and literature on IPR so that participants in the global debate can proceed with the best possible information. IPD has established the Intellectual Property Task Force to fill this space and to help inform the international community in what is already a contentious and enormously important dialogue.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events currently

Past Events

01/19/16   Meeting

New York, New York, United States

06/22/09 - 06/24/09   Meeting

Manchester, United Kingdom

01/01/09   Speech

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

03/01/07   Speech

Beijing, China

12/05/05 - 12/06/05   Meeting

Santiago, Chile

Latest Publications

05/08/14   Book

Jerome Reichman (Editor), Giovanni Dosi (Editor), Keith Maskus (Editor), Mario Cimoli (Editor), Ruth Okediji (Editor)

08/11/10   Working Paper

Arjun Jayadev, Joseph Stiglitz

06/01/08   Working Paper

Mario Cimoli, Sebastian Rovira

It is widely recognized that the objectives and means by which intellectual property regulations are established will determine, in part, whether poor countries are able to close existing knowledge, technology, and healthcare gaps in a manner consistent with the Millennium Development Goals.

In the years since the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) introduced intellectual property rules into the multilateral trading system, dissatisfaction in both the scientific community and in the developing world with the current Intellectual Property Regime (IPR) has grown. In the decades since the Uruguay Round concluded, the poorest people of the world have been denied access to life saving drugs, corporations from the advanced industrial countries have attempted to patent native medicines and plants, and the scientific community has complained that IPR impedes the progress of science.

In 2004, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) took a major step forward in addressing these issues when it adopted a Brazilian and Argentinean proposal for a development agenda. This proposal recognized that intellectual property is not an end in itself and reiterated WIPO's mission to “promote creative intellectual activity” and “the transfer of technology to developing countries.”

There is a real need to create an academic and non-ideological discussion and literature on IPR so that participants in the global debate can proceed with the best possible information. IPD has established the Intellectual Property Task Force to fill this space and to help inform the international community in what is already a contentious and enormously important dialogue.

US House Forms AI Task Force as Legislative Push Stalls

Reuters

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds a press conference at Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2024. REUTERS/Leah Millis

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday they are forming a bipartisan task force to explore potential legislation to address concerns around artificial intelligence.

Efforts in Congress to pass legislation addressing AI have stalled despite numerous high-level forums and legislative proposals over the past year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the task force would be charged with producing a comprehensive report and consider "guardrails that may be appropriate to safeguard the nation against current and emerging threats."

Generative AI - which can create text, photos and videos in response to open-ended prompts - has spurred excitement as well as fears it could make some jobs obsolete, upend elections and potentially overpower humans and have catastrophic effects.

The issue received new attention after a fake robocall in January imitating President Joe Biden sought to dissuade people from voting for him in New Hampshire's Democratic primary election. The Federal Communications Commission declared this month calls made with AI-generated voices are illegal.

The task force report will include "guiding principles, forward-looking recommendations and bipartisan policy proposals developed in consultation with committees" in Congress.

Jeffries said "the rise of artificial intelligence also presents a unique set of challenges and certain guardrails must be put in place to protect the American people."

In October, Biden signed an executive order that aims to reduce the risks of AI. In January, the Commerce Department said it was proposing to require U.S. cloud companies to determine whether foreign entities are accessing U.S. data centers to train AI models.

Representative Jay Obernolte, the Republican chair of the 24-member task force, said the report will detail "the regulatory standards and Congressional actions needed to both protect consumers and foster continued investment and innovation in AI."

Democratic co-chair Ted Lieu Force said "the question is how to ensure AI benefits society instead of harming us."

Earlier this month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said leading AI companies were among more than 200 entities joining a new U.S. consortium to support safe AI deployment including OpenAI, Alphabet's Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Apple, Amazon.com and Nvidia.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Miral Fahmy)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Join the Conversation

Tags: artificial intelligence , United States , intellectual property

intellectual property task force

Health News Bulletin

Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Jan. 26, 2024

intellectual property task force

Cartoons on President Donald Trump

Feb. 1, 2017, at 1:24 p.m.

intellectual property task force

Photos: Obama Behind the Scenes

April 8, 2022

intellectual property task force

Photos: Who Supports Joe Biden?

March 11, 2020

intellectual property task force

Trump’s Money Troubles

Susan Milligan Feb. 21, 2024

intellectual property task force

Fed Officials Moving Cautiously on Rates

Tim Smart Feb. 21, 2024

intellectual property task force

Biden Cancels $1.2B More Student Debt

Lauren Camera Feb. 21, 2024

intellectual property task force

The Week in Cartoons Feb. 19-23

Feb. 21, 2024, at 1:23 p.m.

intellectual property task force

Haley Pledges to Fight On – For Now

Susan Milligan Feb. 20, 2024

intellectual property task force

No ‘24 Recession, Leading Indicators Say

Tim Smart Feb. 20, 2024

intellectual property task force

IMAGES

  1. Intellectual Property Task Force

    intellectual property task force

  2. Task Force on Intellectual Property: Disposition, Practices, and

    intellectual property task force

  3. European Academies Form Task Force on Intellectual Property System for

    intellectual property task force

  4. How to protect your intellectual property

    intellectual property task force

  5. CMI chairs the intellectual property task force of EUnited Metallurgy

    intellectual property task force

  6. 3 Ways to Protect Intellectual Property for Your Business

    intellectual property task force

COMMENTS

  1. Intellectual Property Task Force

    The Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property is part of a Department-wide initiative to confront the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property (IP) crimes.

  2. Justice Department Announces New Intellectual Property Task Force as

    Friday, February 12, 2010 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the formation of a new Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property as part of a Department-wide initiative to confront the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property (IP) crimes.

  3. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center

    The HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPRC) is responsible for coordinating a unified U.S. government response to the growing threat of counterfeiting, and has significantly expanded the original multi-agency law enforcement and regulatory endeavor created to target intellectual property (IP) crimes.

  4. The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center

    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 ...

  5. The Department of Justice Creates an Intellectual Property Task Force

    On February 12, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of an Intellectual Property Task Force (Task Force) to target domestic and international intellectual property (IP) related crimes. According to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the establishment of the Task Force is part of a "multi-faceted strategy" to be ...

  6. Report of the Department of Justice's Task Force on Intellectual Property

    In March 2004, the DOJ's Task Force on Intellectual Property was created to analyze existing intellectual property enforcement efforts by the DOJ and to propose improvements to those protection efforts. The working groups analyzed existing resources and suggested improvements in the areas of criminal enforcement, international cooperation ...

  7. FY 2023 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public

    Through this opportunity, BJA seeks applications for funding to support law enforcement agencies that have an intellectual property enforcement task force or plan to create one. FY 2023 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy | Bureau of Justice ...

  8. Intellectual Property Enforcement Program

    The IP Enforcement Program covers expenses related to performing criminal enforcement operations; educating the public and law enforcement professionals about IP crime to prevent, deter, and identify criminal violations of IP laws; establishing task forces to conduct investigations, forensic analyses, and prosecutions; and acquiring equipment to...

  9. Global Trade Investigations

    The Intellectual Property Unit's objectives are: 1) Ensure public safety and national security by preventing dangerous and harmful goods from entering the stream of commerce; 2) Promote the integrity of the trade process; and 3) Use resources in an efficient and intelligent manner.

  10. PDF Presidential Task Force Intellectual Property Reporting for Brands

    2022-2025 The INTA 2022 Presidential Task Force on Intellectual Property Reporting for Brands (the "PTF") STRATEGIC was set up to broaden the perspective of a company's management, employees, investors, and other stakeholders by considering manners in which information regarding PLAN" the value of brand-related intellectual property can more eff...

  11. PDF Report of the Department of Justice's Intellectual Property Task Force

    The Task Force also consulted other government agencies and gathered information from multiple sources outside the government, including victims of intellectual property theft, creators of intellectual property, community groups, and academia. After six months of work, the Task Force submits this final report of recommendations

  12. FY 2020 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public

    This program assists state, local and tribal jurisdictions in preventing and reducing intellectual property theft and related crime. ... Funding awards will support law enforcement agencies which have an IP enforcement task force or plan to create one. These task forces will collaborate with relevant state, local, territorial, tribal, and ...

  13. National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center

    The task force structure enables the IPR Center to efficiently and effectively leverage the resources, skills, and authorities of each participating agency and provide a comprehensive response to IP theft.

  14. Intellectual Property Task Force

    The Intellectual Property Policy Task Force was developed to address some of these challenges and to meet our goal of elevating faculty and staff engagement through Envisioning 2024. Charges

  15. Intellectual Property

    Intellectual Property | Task Forces | Programs | Initiative for Policy Dialogue It is widely recognized that the objectives and means by which intellectual property regulations are established will determine, in part, whether poor...

  16. PDF BJA FY 23 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public

    an intellectual property (IP) enforcement task force or plan to create one. This program furthers the DOJ's mission by assisting state, local, and tribal jurisdictions in preventing and reducing ... Grantees and any task force-participating agencies are required to deconflict task force investigations and events through Case Explorer ...

  17. PDF Intellectual Property and the National Information Infrastructure

    INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND THE NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE THE REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS BRUCE A. LEHMAN Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks CHAIR INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE TASK FORCE RONALD H. BROWN Secretary of Commerce CHAIR SEPTEMBER 1995

  18. US House Forms AI Task Force as Legislative Push Stalls

    By David Shepardson. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday they are forming a bipartisan task force to explore potential legislation to address concerns ...

  19. FY 2023 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public

    This particular program, the IPEP program is one of the things where our key point is looking at this idea of intellectual property. And it's basically we're doing it through task forces for areas that either state, local, tribal, territorial, that either have a task force or plan to create one.

  20. Mission Statement

    The Attorney General established the Intellectual Property (IP) Task Force in February 2010, designating the Deputy Attorney General as the Chair. The IP Task Force seeks to support prosecutions in priority areas, promote innovation through heightened civil enforcement, achieve greater coordination among federal, state, and local law ...