The IP Crime and Enforcement Report begins with the assertion that “We are moving into an era in which … Creativity is the raw material of commerce and intellectual property is its currency converter. Much of our creative output may be guaranteed by intellectual property. This fundamental relationship gives IP its pivotal role in the twenty first century economy.”
The report contains anti-piracy status reports from advocacy organizations within the UK music, book publishing, interactive gaming, Internet, brands and luxury goods industries, from FACT, from The Industry Trust for IP Awareness (the UK’s film, TV and video industry’s consumer education body), and from trading standards and anti-counterfeiting groups.
Tracking the trends
The City of London’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) is tracking a variety trends:
- Camcording of movies in cinemas for uploading to pirate streaming sites increased about five-fold between 2018 and 2019
- Mobile apps are being increasingly used to stream illicit content;
- Smart TVs and devices such as games consoles have been catalyst for an increase in subscription services from IPTV suppliers without also purchasing a hardware device.
- Payment by cryptocurrency is expected to be an increasing threat due to the level of anonymity cryptocurrency provides.
- The increase in mobile broadband speeds made possible by 5G will drive increased availability and use of pirate streaming (“IPTV”) services.
- Social media platforms are likely to be used as a channel to stream content via live feeds.
Access the entire IP Crime and Enforcement Report
Why it matters
The IP crime and enforcement 2019 to 2020 report also includes a separate supplement with a sample of IP related case studies from Trading Standards. It is a valuable single-source compendium of information for anyone interested in a big-picture view of anti-infringement activities in the UK.
Recognition of the piracy problem and its threat to creative endeavors is a common theme among anti-piracy advocates, and increasingly, a position being taken by law enforcement.
