Intellectual property (IP) crimes are a generic term used by INTERPOL to describe a wide range of counterfeiting and piracy crimes. Intellectual property theft and commercial fraud aren't victimless crimes: criminals prey on people looking for a good deal and steal sensitive information from U.S. companies. Stealing intellectual property is cheap and easy.
All a thief has to do is copy someone else's ideas or product. Intellectual property theft can cost people their jobs, damage the reputation of the original manufacturer of the counterfeit product, cause illness and bodily injury, deprive governments of much needed tax revenues, and even cause the spread of organized crime and gangs, which in turn can harm more lives and destroy neighborhoods. Intellectual property is any innovation, commercial or artistic; any new method or formula with economic value; or any unique name, symbol or logo used for commercial purposes. As a form of intellectual property that shapes a brand's identity, trademarks are recognizable logos, symbols, names or phrases that legally identify certain products and services. For example, the U.S.
Commission on the Theft of Intellectual Property estimates that intellectual property theft costs the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Like trademark infringement, but more focused on brand identity, design infringement involves the unauthorized reproduction of an original design, layout, or visual illustration that identifies a product protected by intellectual property laws. Outdated file sharing permissions or forgotten cloud drives can also be used to steal intellectual property. Intellectual property theft, more commonly known as intellectual property theft, is a growing concern in today's digital space.
Intellectual property theft is a federal crime in many jurisdictions and, for software developers, poses legal, financial and reputational risks. Learn more about Proofpoint as your team's solution to prevent intellectual property theft from infringing your assets. For example, the theft of intellectual property in the area of cybersecurity can create vulnerabilities that can endanger users. Unauthorized use of licenses is a common and often unintentional form of intellectual property theft, although it is usually a matter of contract and not of intellectual property law.
The concept of intellectual property is relatively simple and, in general terms, refers to the legal rights that derive from intellectual activity in the artistic, industrial, literary and scientific fields. In a world increasingly driven by digital assets, intellectual property (IP) has become one of the most valuable assets a company can possess. Intellectual property theft is the unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of another person's legally protected ideas, inventions, or marks. Preventing intellectual property theft and mitigating damage has become a priority for organizations, especially for high-profile brands, technology companies and government agencies.
