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16 October 2013

Interpol looks to private sector in counterfeiting fight

Greater cooperation between the public and private sectors is needed to combat counterfeiting, Interpol’s secretary general told a conference in Dublin.

Ronald Noble was speaking on Tuesday, during the opening of the 2013 International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property Crime Conference.

“The risk of relying solely on law enforcement services could be too high for the safety and security of citizens worldwide,” Noble said, according to an Interpol statement.

“We face a reality where our governments have increasingly limited abilities to financially support the fight against illicit trade, a reality where private sector entities are also affected and willing to join this fight.”

Noble said now is not only the time to act, but to “anticipate, innovate, partner and be proactive”, pointing to the success already achieved through Interpol’s Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting (TIGC) programme.

Since its launch in 2012, the TIGC has helped to seize counterfeit items worth more than $300 million.

The conference in Dublin, which began on Tuesday, October 15 and ends on Thursday, brings together 500 delegates from more than 60 countries.

Ireland’s Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, who was also speaking at the event, said the importance of cooperation between private and public sectors in the fight against IP crime cannot be understated.

“Consumers are put at risk through the sale of inferior, dangerous goods. Businesses are deprived of a return for their investment in the product’s development. Governments and citizens lose out on revenue and employment opportunities.

“An Garda Síochána [Irish national police] is committed to working with partner organizations in order to minimise the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products, and we are delighted to once again be hosting an IP crime conference,” he said.

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