The Cornerstone Report: Volume 2, Issue 1

ICE Agents Honored For Intellectual Property Protection

ICE Special Agent Yong Chin received the “Intellectual Property Excellence Award” in January.

In recent months, seven ICE agents have been recognized for their leadership and commitment to protecting intellectual property rights through aggressive investigation of counterfeiting and piracy.

• In January 2005, ICE Special Agent Yong Chin was awarded the “Intellectual Property Excellence Award” by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of American (PhRMA), a leading industry association. Shin was honored for his role spearheading investigations in Los Angeles that led to the seizure of more than 30,000 counterfeit Viagra tablets, as well as the arrest and conviction of several key figures associated with counterfeit pharmaceutical trafficking. Shin now represents ICE at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• In November 2004, six ICE employees were recognized by the Department of Justice for their work in “Operation Buccaneer,” an investigation targeting a global network of cyberspace gangs responsible for pirating billions of dollars worth of pirated software over the Internet. “Operation Buccaneer” was one of the largest investigations into Internet-based copyright crime ever conducted, and the first federal investigation of Internet software piracy to extend across international borders. ICE’s James Plitt, Phillip Reed, Michael Godfrey, Thomas Kim, Dawn Gabel and David Collins were honored for their roles in the 15-month-long investigation.
  
  
• These cases represent only a fraction of the numerous ICE investigations into intellectual property crime around the world. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, ICE arrested 218 intellectual property rights violators (up from 132 the previous fiscal year) and brought 140 indictments (twice the number of FY 2003). In addition, ICE, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, seized more than $138 million worth of counterfeit goods in FY 2004.

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ICE Agents Honored For IPR

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Cornerstone Calendar

Cornerstone is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) comprehensive investigative initiative for fighting financial crime, trade fraud and intellectual property crime.

The Cornerstone Report is a quarterly bulletin highlighting key issues related to ICE financial and trade investigations.

The Cornerstone Report covers a broad range of topics related to financial investigations and potential vulnerabilities in the financial and trade sectors.

We strive to present clear thinking by knowledgeable observers that can be read with ease and pleasure by both professionals and a general audience, and we’re happy to review unsolicited submissions for potential publication in the newsletter.

If you would like to submit an article for publication or simply find out more about how you can participate in the Cornerstone initiative, drop us an e-mail at tripwire@dhs.gov.