At strategic level, an important report has been launched on the British IP Day at a Westminster event organised by the Alliance for Intellectual Property (Anti Copying in Design is a member) calling on government to use the report to provide a constructive contribution to the Government’s efforts to tackle illicit trade and IP related crime and help ensure that the UK remains a world leader in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property.

The report on Intellectual Property: IP and Illicit Trade Enforcement Addressing emerging threats in the UK’s intellectual property enforcement landscape can be seen here:

Core recommendations include:

• Introducing a mandatory, standardised “Know Your Business Customer” (KYBC) regime across digital infrastructure.
• Embed a “Follow the Money” approach at the centre of IP enforcement.
• Provide the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU with stable, multi-year funding and formal recognition as a national policing capability.
• Establish a statutory, UK-wide IP enforcement coordination framework to improve information sharing powers.
• Close enforcement capacity gaps with targeted investment in specialist investigators and digital tools, alongside improved small-parcel border targeting.

Sir John Whittingdale, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Intellectual Property (APPG) said: “A recurring theme throughout the evidence was the need to move beyond enforcement in isolation, towards a more coordinated approach that prioritises intelligence sharing and following the money that sustains illicit trade”

Dids Macdonald OBE., Vice Chair of the Alliance for IP and ACID Director of Campaigning said “This is a wake-up call to government to acknowledge the changing nature of emerging threats and disrupt a global commercial-scale piracy network. The online environment requires urgent rapid, intelligence-led intervention if we are to protect the UK’s intellectual capital in which IP plays such an integral role.”

To celebrate British IP Day at grass roots, using the ACID brand of deterrence, ACID has launched a powerful tool of self-help with the newly created Member of ACID watermarks. Designed to give an easy way to visibly identify images across social media, websites, portfolios and online marketplaces it will reinforce ownership, deter unauthorised use, present images professionally, showcase a commitment to protecting creativity and prove it is backed by an organisation committed to IP respect, ethics and compliance.

Laura Newbold Breen ACID’s CEO said, “The Member of ACID Watermark is the ideal complement to an ACID deterrent armoury, giving a powerful warning shot to copycats that our members are fiercely protective of their work, know their IP rights and are part of our vital community.”

ACID Council Member, Peter Dunne, and Director of Rosslynstone Ltd representing ACID said, “I fully support and endorse this new deterrent watermark, which sends a powerful message to those who use images unlawfully. It was a privilege to meet so many talented and inspiring people dedicated to protecting intellectual property rights. Having built and sold my own business over 36 years, I have experienced both the impact of infringement and the importance of robust IP protection. My sincere thanks to Dids Macdonald, ACID co-founder, for the invitation, and to the organisers for bringing together such an outstanding group of industry leaders, innovators and experts.”