A company’s intellectual property (“IP”) is one of its most valuable holdings. Importation of illicit goods and pirated content into the United States that violate the copyrights and trademarks of their rightful holders is on the rise. Most people are unaware that the proceeds from what may seem like an innocuous criminal activity are tied into drug trade, money laundering, and sexual trafficking. Furthermore, aside from the damage pirated and counterfeit goods cause the economy, they pose a serious public health and safety risk. Just about any product commodity can be counterfeit – watches, cigarettes, toothpaste, fragrance, medication, and everything in between.
Our investigators have extensive experience mitigating and responding to IP theft and counterfeiting. Brand protection investigations are particular due to the laws governing manufacturing, buying, and selling of counterfeit goods. Our firm has provided IP and brand protection services to tobacco companies (with respect to both counterfeit and duty-free products), luxury watch manufacturers, and clothing and accessories brands that are household names.
While our focus is brand protection and not law enforcement, often the resultant criminal investigations ride the coattails of our undercover buys and the intelligence gathered by our firm. That is why we became experts at documenting evidence chain of custody, proper evidence storage and handling, and packaging cases for the District Attorney’s Office or the United States Attorney’s Office.