HSI team attends International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Executive Associate Director Peter Edge led a team from HSI that attended the 2014 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference Sept. 23-25.
The conference, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, was co-hosted by INTERPOL and the Vietnam National Police in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories. The three-day event gave attendees the opportunity to learn about and discuss operational best practices to combat transnational organized intellectual property (IP) crime through plenary sessions, operational workshops, interactive round tables and specialized IP crime learning sessions.
In front of more than 500 delegates from 83 countries, Mr. Edge delivered a keynote address that focused on international cooperation and the need to remain adaptive to the changing face of these crimes.
“Intellectual property, or IP, theft is and will remain a priority for HSI because IP crime creates significant risks to public health and safety, drains the economy of important jobs, and funds international organized crime,” Edge said. “IP thieves do not pay taxes to the government from their sales and they do not create long-term sustainable jobs. Rather, they often prey on those at the margins of society to sell their counterfeit goods and steal jobs from those who would sell genuine products.”
Also representing HSI was National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) Deputy Associate Director Joe Macias, who provided an international IP case study presentation to attendees.
“This was a great opportunity to participate in an international IP event of significant importance. It provided HSI the platform to establish several new contacts and enhance the relationships that we have fostered throughout our mission,” Macias said.
Other HSI men and women in attendance included William Ross, Unit Chief, Outreach and Training Unit IPR Center, HSI Ho Chi Minh Assistant Attaché Phillip Warfield, HSI Honolulu Special Agent Laura L.V. Dai, HSI Bangkok Attaché Bryan McPherson and HSI Dallas Supervisory Special Agent John McNair, all of whom moderated and hosted breakout sessions during the conference.
HSI has a reputation as a leader in international IP theft enforcement, and its presence at this conference, together with the participation in several bilateral meetings with international law enforcement partners, further established this position among its partners.
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