The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) is a collaborative effort by 15 U.S. Government agencies and two international governments to stop intellectual property theft that threatens the U.S. and global economy, endangers the public’s health and safety, and threatens the war fighter. The IPR Center uses a three-pronged approach of interdiction, investigation, and outreach and training to combat IP theft.
As part of these efforts, the IPR Center supports and coordinates training through its state and local engagement initiative that provides the Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) led IP Theft Enforcement Teams (IPTETs) with specific training on combating IP theft. In addition, the IPR Center works with other entities, such as the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition’s Foundation, the National Association of Attorneys General and the National White Collar Crime Center to support their domestic IPR training efforts.
Established in each of the 26 HSI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) offices across the country the IPTETs build on the investigative best practices identified by the IPR Center, its partner agencies and private industry. The IPTETs use an informal task force approach to enhance coordination of IP theft investigations between federal, state and local law enforcement partners in their local area.
The IPR Center also provides training to IPTETs and serves as a resource to support the IPTET’s investigative efforts. The IPTET training includes participation from the IPR Center, its partner agencies, the Department of Justice Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, HSI SAC offices, state and local law enforcement, private industry representatives and rights holders. These training events are tailored for state and local officers, detectives, prosecutors, and their federal partners to provide them with information on IPR Center the capabilities, federal and state IP laws, investigative techniques and tools, and product identification.
In FY 2010, the IPR Center trained 16 IPTET locations and in FY 2011, the IPR Center is planning to conduct another nine training sessions.
For more information about the IPR Center’s outreach and training efforts, please contact the Outreach & Training Unit by phone at 1-866-IPR-2060, by email at IPRCenter@dhs.gov, or by U.S. mail at National IPR Coordination Center, 2451 Crystal Drive Stop 5105, Arlington, VA 20598-5105 attn: Outreach & Training Unit Chief.