JULY / AUGUST 2002
New ammunition in the fight against fakes
A new Bill that will harmonize criminal offences for copyright and trade mark
infringement has been introduced in the UK. Sara Elwyn Jones and Helen Cline look at its implications in the war against the pirates
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| Helen Cline |
Sara Elwyn Jones |
The damaging effect of IP crime across the world is extensive.
First, there is the direct impact on business and the harm caused
to the IP rights owner. Secondly, there is the indirect harm caused
to the economy through lost taxes (£1.55 billion (US$2.3 billion)
in 2000 in the UK), lost jobs, and possible loss of foreign
investment in those countries where counterfeiting is widespread.
Counterfeiting is estimated by the affected industries to cost the
UK economy £9 billion a year, and is responsible for the loss of
over 4,000 jobs. There is also the indirect social cost, as lost
revenues lead to a diversion of public funds. And there is the
possible risk to health and safety posed by inferior goods and the
absence of recourse for the consumer if things do go wrong.
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