The Justice Department has announced that Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-ranking officials have awarded over $2.4 million in grants to combat intellectual property theft.
Intellectual property theft refers to the violation of criminal laws that protect copyrights, patents, trademarks, other forms of intellectual property and trade secrets, both in the United States and abroad. This crime can devastate lives and businesses, undermine financial stability, jeopardize health, and even threaten national security.
"IP theft is not a victimless crime," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "It can devastate lives and businesses as well as undermine our nation’s financial stability, jeopardize the health of our citizens, and even threaten our national security."
The grants will be used by 13 jurisdictions to enforce criminal laws related to IP theft, through improving their ability to enforce, investigate, prosecute and implement prevention initiatives that address IP crimes. The grants include providing reimbursement of expenses incurred in performing criminal enforcement operations, such as overtime payments, storage fees for seized evidence, training and technical assistance.
Other jurisdictions receiving grants today include: Austin, Texas; Central Point, Ore.; Cook County, Ill.; Orlando, Fla.; Riverside County, Calif.; Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office; New York County District Attorney’s Office; Sacramento County, Calif.; San Antonio; the California Department of Justice; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; and the Virginia State Police.
The Justice Department, through the Deputy Attorney General’s IP Task Force, has made preventing IP theft a top priority. In the past three years, the department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $10,108,800 in grants to 34 law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem. BJA has awarded a total of $13,383,002 in grants to fight IP theft.
The Justice Department is also working with the National White Collar Crime Center and other federal and state agencies to combat IP theft. This partnership is crucial in preventing and addressing IP crimes, which can fund dangerous or even violent criminal enterprises and organized crime networks.
"Preventing and combating intellectual property crimes constitutes a top priority for our nation’s Department of Justice," said Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole. "With the grants we announce today, we make good on our firm commitment to work closely with a variety of federal, state, local, and international partners to more effectively fight IP crime, provide direct support to critical law enforcement allies, and strengthen our ability to protect American innovation."
Baltimore County will receive $123,971 in grant funds that will support additional training, community outreach efforts and investigative resources to combat intellectual property theft. This grant award will support the Baltimore County Police Department’s efforts to enforce criminal laws protecting foreign and domestic copyrights, patents, trademarks and other forms of intellectual property and trade secrets.
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