The UK government will continue to take a hard line on intellectual property (IP) theft, as IP rights are needed to support technological innovation as the cornerstone of the economic recovery.
Speaking at an event last week sponsored by the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), Lord Younger, minister for Intellectual Property (IP), promised new tools and education to fight IP infringement and said that the Government has three aims where IP protection is concerned.
The first is to raise awareness of the value of IP in business, the second is to find ways to communicate the importance of IP for the future of the country and the third is to build IP markets and the information infrastructure that they require.
The minister added that copyright, trademarks, designs and patents are crucial for innovation, investment and growth, with the UK software industry alone worth over £25 billion.
However, he warned that the information economy was being held back by intellectual property crime, including the production and sale of counterfeit goods, patent infringement and of course, software piracy.
Lord Younger also hailed the success of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which was launched in September 2013, which has made around 18 arrests since its inception, mostly targeting people who facilitate “illegal broadcasts” of Premier League matches and sell counterfeit Windows DVDs.
PIPCU has also helped to close down at least 40 websites accused of facilitating copyright infringement, although it has done so without obtaining a single court order.
Speaking at the same event, which was held in Parliament, Mike Weatherley MP, adviser to the Prime Minister for IP and former European VP for the Motion Picture Licensing Company, said that education is key.
He stressed that the public at large must be taught that stealing digital IP is the same as stealing physical property, and that this should be underpinned by fair and reasonable IP law, where legislation and enforcement meet to foster growth, protect IP and deter theft.