The recording industry has welcomed the recent launch of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PICPU), which burst into the news earlier this month after PICPU officers arrested two men in possession of thousands of allegedly bootleg DVDs and CDs.
Now the trade organisation for the British music industry (BPI) and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), both of which represent the recorded music industry in the UK and internationally, have expressed their full support for the new Unit, which will be working to build a comprehensive policing response to the threat of online intellectual property crime.
The Unit will investigate and prosecute serious offenders, seize criminal assets and disrupt illegal online supply chains and will also focus on influencing online behaviour by site owners, service providers and consumers through education, prevention and enforcement activity, as well as providing offenders with opportunities for restorative justice.
The BPI said that the UK’s copyright framework must protect, promote and reward creators, music businesses and investors in talent, as the UK is one of the world’s leading nations in developing artists and producing popular music.
Chief Executive of the BPI, Geoff Taylor, added that the City of London Police have been forward-thinking in their approach to tackling websites that exploit music illegally and said his organisation would continue to work closely with them to deliver new initiatives to support the creative sector.
Meanwhile, Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI said that the City of London Police’s work with the industry and payment providers has already seen more than 50 illegal download sites based in Russia and Ukraine, selling to a global audience, deprived of revenues.
She added that she therefore looks forward to supporting the new Unit in its efforts to tackle the borderless problem of online piracy that affects the livelihoods of artists, songwriters and record producers around the world.