EUROPOL – EU IPO Report on IP Crime and its Links to Other Serious Crimes

This new report on how IP crime supports the activities of organised criminal gangs adds to the growing evidence that counterfeit goods are an attack against society requiring an international response. It demonstrates the interconnection between IPR crime and other types of serious crimes highlighting the links between actors committing these offences.

The case studies presented in this report illustrate how a wide range of different crimes are linked to intellectual property crime, including pharmaceutical crime, drug trafficking, manslaughter, illegal arms possession, forced labour, food fraud, excise duty fraud, VAT fraud, corruption and money laundering.

This IP crime is often seen as ‘victimless’ crime, causing relatively ‘little’ harm. However, in addition to causing harm to the economy in general and to companies owning IP (including small and medium sized ones) in particular, in many cases IP crime is conducted by OCGs and can cause damage to the health and well-being of consumers, the environment and society.

Read the full report here

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