Successful prosecutions more common for IP crimes

More people are successfully being prosecuted for intellectual property crimes, a report shows.

The number of successful prosecutions made for intellectual property (IP) crimes has increased in the UK, which may have been assisted by the services of IT umbrella companies.

Action is being taken by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and its partner agencies to take action against those who are found to be breaking the law.

Statistics show that three-quarters of all criminal copyright cases now amount to a positive conviction, and 80 per cent lead to a guilty plea prosecution against the defendant.

IP minister Baroness Wilcox said: "We have a dedicated intellectual property crime team who are specialists in providing support to partner agencies such as Trading Standards and the police."

Although the report was largely positive, it also reveals a rise in the sale and distribution of pirated and counterfeit goods over the internet over the past year.

This has been identified as a problem area that will be targeted through future enforcement.