New powers to help Trading Standards officers in the UK’s fight against counterfeiting and piracy crime came into force on Monday, the newly-renamed UK Intellectual Property Office has announced.
The new powers introduced under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act will make enforcement of copyright infringement the responsibility of Trading Standards, and will give officers the power to make test purchases, enter premises and inspect and seize goods and documents.
Malcolm Wicks, the Minister for Science and Innovation, explained the reasoning behind the new legislation:
"The UK film, music and game industries are among the most creative and innovative in the world, but peddlers of counterfeits are costing those industries up to GBP9 billion a year. The taxpayer is also losing out to the tune of GBP300 million. It's a serious offence, whether committed by small-scale hawkers or international crime organisations."
He added:
"IP criminals should know that the UK is not a safe place. Their risk of 10 years' imprisonment and unlimited fines is very real and from this date forward a markedly higher risk."
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