WIPR survey: Readers back public money for IP fight

Readers have backed a police unit dedicated to fighting intellectual property crime and said that taxpayers’ money should be used to help tackle such crime.

Responding to WIPR’s most recent survey, 71% of respondents said they thought the UK-based Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and similar bodies were justified.

Launched in September 2013 PIPCU, based at the City of London Police headquarters, has focused on stamping out IP crime, primarily online.

Its funding was due to run out in 2015 but a government grant of £3 million ($4.3 million) in October 2014 ensured the unit would remain operating until at least 2017.

For this week’s survey, we ask: “We previously reported on Kylie Minogue’s opposition to Kylie Jenner’s US trademark application for ‘Kylie’, with one of the cited grounds being dilution. Is Minogue likely to win on the dilution claim? Please explain your reasoning.”