National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center
Encyclopedia
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC) is a U.S. government center overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The NIPRCC coordinates the U.S. government’s enforcement of intellectual property
laws.
The NIPRCC was created in 2000 , under the then-U.S. Customs Service as part of the implementation of the Clinton Administration's 1998 International Crime Control Strategy . The International Crime Control Strategy was developed to address the national security threat of international crime as determined by Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 42 in 1995.
The NIPRCC hosts representatives from multiple government agencies that run in the center’s activities. In alphabetical order, these entities include:
Pilot programs are in place where representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and the Government of Mexico Tax Administration Service serve in the center in order to coordinate U.S. enforcement efforts with that of Canada
and Mexico
.
agencies were and continue to share responsibility with investigating and prosecuting various intellectual property violations. The NIPRCC was created to promote information sharing, investigative and prosecutorial coordination, to provide a centralized reporting location and information resource for private businesses and the public, and to avoid duplicative efforts. For example, law enforcement agencies at the center share information gathered from their investigations. Emerging criminal trends and new infringing technologies are identified more quickly, and the information shared with the enforcing field officials.
The center address intellectual property crimes ranging from counterfeit pharmaceuticals , to pirated films, television, and music, to counterfeit machinery and other merchandise procured by the federal government, to counterfeit federal uniforms, badges, and other insignia, to consumer goods, to postal fraud.
The NIPRCC also works with the Office of the United States Trade Representative
to identify trade barriers to U.S. companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright
, patents and trademarks, in other countries. This is reported annually in a Special 301 Report
, named after Section 301, as amended of the Trade Act of 1974
, that mandates it.
The NIPRCC was featured heavily in the U.S. Government’s 2010 JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ENFORCEMENT and highlighted by a 2011 60 Minutes
broadcast on counterfeit
pharmaceuticals.
. The Operation is the culmination of investigations of websites that are suspected of hosting the illegal downloading of copyrighted media, the sale of counterfeit goods, and products that threaten public safety, such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals. In an undercover capacity, NIPRCC investigators download or suspected counterfeit or pirated merchandise from the Web sites and their affiliates, to identify those Web sites that were involved in the distribution of stolen content or counterfeit goods. The Center shares this information with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, which obtains a seizure warrant from a federal magistrate judge to seize the website domain name until the case can be adjudicated.
In the past, these domains have included: tvshack.net, tvshack.cc, movies-links.tv, filespump.com, Now-movies.com, planetmoviez.com, thepiratecity.org, zml.com, ninjavideo.net, ninjathis.net and strikegently.com Visitors to these websites are greeted with a graphic bearing the seals of the Department of Justice
, the NIPRCC and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The graphic also includes the following text:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The NIPRCC coordinates the U.S. government’s enforcement of intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
laws.
The NIPRCC was created in 2000 , under the then-U.S. Customs Service as part of the implementation of the Clinton Administration's 1998 International Crime Control Strategy . The International Crime Control Strategy was developed to address the national security threat of international crime as determined by Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 42 in 1995.
The NIPRCC hosts representatives from multiple government agencies that run in the center’s activities. In alphabetical order, these entities include:
- U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionU.S. Customs and Border ProtectionU.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
- Defense Criminal Investigative ServiceDefense Criminal Investigative ServiceThe Defense Criminal Investigative Service is the criminal investigative arm of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense...
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. International Trade Administration
- Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations
- U.S. General Service Administration’s Office of Inspector General
- U.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
- INTERPOLInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
- Naval Criminal Investigative ServiceNaval Criminal Investigative ServiceThe United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Intellectual Property Enforcement
Pilot programs are in place where representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
and the Government of Mexico Tax Administration Service serve in the center in order to coordinate U.S. enforcement efforts with that of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Purpose
The NIPRCC was created as a response to congressional criticism of federal enforcement efforts in the 1990s. Numerous Federal law enforcementLaw enforcement
Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...
agencies were and continue to share responsibility with investigating and prosecuting various intellectual property violations. The NIPRCC was created to promote information sharing, investigative and prosecutorial coordination, to provide a centralized reporting location and information resource for private businesses and the public, and to avoid duplicative efforts. For example, law enforcement agencies at the center share information gathered from their investigations. Emerging criminal trends and new infringing technologies are identified more quickly, and the information shared with the enforcing field officials.
The center address intellectual property crimes ranging from counterfeit pharmaceuticals , to pirated films, television, and music, to counterfeit machinery and other merchandise procured by the federal government, to counterfeit federal uniforms, badges, and other insignia, to consumer goods, to postal fraud.
The NIPRCC also works with the Office of the United States Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
to identify trade barriers to U.S. companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, patents and trademarks, in other countries. This is reported annually in a Special 301 Report
Special 301 Report
The Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative under Section 301 as amended of the Trade Act of 1974. The reports identify trade barriers to US companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and...
, named after Section 301, as amended of the Trade Act of 1974
Trade Act of 1974
The Trade Act of 1974 was passed to help industry in the United States become more competitive or phase workers into other industries or occupations.-Fast track authority:...
, that mandates it.
The NIPRCC was featured heavily in the U.S. Government’s 2010 JOINT STRATEGIC PLAN ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ENFORCEMENT and highlighted by a 2011 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
broadcast on counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
pharmaceuticals.
Operation In Our Sites
Operation “In Our Sites” is an initiative led by the NIPRCC to detect and hinder intellectual property violations on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The Operation is the culmination of investigations of websites that are suspected of hosting the illegal downloading of copyrighted media, the sale of counterfeit goods, and products that threaten public safety, such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals. In an undercover capacity, NIPRCC investigators download or suspected counterfeit or pirated merchandise from the Web sites and their affiliates, to identify those Web sites that were involved in the distribution of stolen content or counterfeit goods. The Center shares this information with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, which obtains a seizure warrant from a federal magistrate judge to seize the website domain name until the case can be adjudicated.
In the past, these domains have included: tvshack.net, tvshack.cc, movies-links.tv, filespump.com, Now-movies.com, planetmoviez.com, thepiratecity.org, zml.com, ninjavideo.net, ninjathis.net and strikegently.com Visitors to these websites are greeted with a graphic bearing the seals of the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, the NIPRCC and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The graphic also includes the following text:
This domain name has been seized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Special Agent in Charge New York Office in accordance with a seizure warrant obtained by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
It is unlawful to reproduce or distribute copyrighted material, such as movies, music, software or games, without authorization. Individuals who willfully reproduce or distribute copyrighted material without authorization, risk criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C § 2319. First-time offenders convicted of criminal felony copyright laws will face up to five years in federal prison, restitution, forfeiture and a fine.
See also
- U.S. Office of the Trade Representative
- Special 301 ReportSpecial 301 ReportThe Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative under Section 301 as amended of the Trade Act of 1974. The reports identify trade barriers to US companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and...
- U.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...