Announced on 12 February, the White House-backed unit will draw its talent from several, high-level US legal divisions, including the Attorney General's office, the Antitrust branch and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Promising tighter scrutiny on domestic IP abuses, the task force will also aim to improve the security of US IP at an international level.
According to the DoJ, the unit's activities will be informed by close working ties with Victoria Espinel, the recently appointed Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC). Housed in the Executive Office of President Obama and charged with drafting a fresh IP strategy for his administration, Espinel will collaborate with the task force to devise ways of bolstering US IP enforcement efforts. As well as spearheading the implementation of US IP laws, the task force will have deep policy involvement.
US Vice President Joe Biden hailed the new task force, drawing attention to the dangers posed by infringing products such as bogus pharmaceuticals that have not been subjected to quality assessments. 'Theft of IP does significant harm to our economy and endangers the health and safety of our citizens,' he said. 'This administration is committed to stronger and stricter enforcement of IP Rights, and this new task force is a step in the right direction.'
One of the main objectives for the task force will be to pinpoint and tackle links between IP abuse and international organised crime. 'The rise in IP crime in the United States and abroad threatens not only our public safety but also our economic wellbeing,' said Attorney General Eric Holder, echoing Biden's view. 'The Department of Justice must confront this threat with a strong and coordinated response. This task force will allow us to identify and implement a multi-faceted strategy with our federal, state and international partners to effectively combat this type of crime.'
Other statutory legal branches that will be represented in the task force include the Civil Division, the Office of Legal Policy, the Office of Justice Programmes, the Attorney General's Advisory Committee and the Executive Office for US Attorneys.
The task force will form part of a broad, long-term IP initiative at the DoJ that will unfold throughout the year. Further measures that the department has announced include stepping up policy engagement with foreign law enforcement partners; developing a plan to expand civil IP enforcement efforts; and leveraging existing partnerships with federal agencies and independent regulatory authorities, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission.
In Espinel's view, the task force is a vital addition to the US justice system as it works to meet global challenges. 'Americans produce more technologies, more brands, more creative works and more innovation than any other nation on Earth,' she said. 'President Obama is committed to ensuring that the value created by American workers and enjoyed by communities around the world is protected. The DoJ's new task force will play a critical role in supporting the administration's ongoing efforts to protect American IP and the millions of jobs that depend on it.'
