UNICRI Programme on counterfeiting

IPO/c

The International Permanent Observatory on counterfeiting (IPO/c) is an extensive monitoring Programme to provide easy accessible and reliable data and information covering both the scope and scale of counterfeiting. The IPO/c wants to analyze the many different challenges arising from the phenomenon and the most appropriate responses and potential solutions to be undertaken nationally and internationally.

Counterfeiting is a multifaceted problem that needs a complex response. UNICRI IPO/c has been designed to provide a multifaceted response, embracing different fields of activity.

Research data collection and information sharing are at the core of the IPO/c. They constitute a fundamental resource to provide updated and reliable information to public and private organizations and to plan activities in other fields as in criminal justice or in anti-counterfeiting technologies.

The IPO/c sphere of activities are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs arising from the international community, the private sector and the public at large. The main areas if activity are: Criminal Justice, Counterfeiting Reports, and Anti-counterfeiting Technologies.

Its overall objective is to support the international community’s efforts to ensure that citizens can trust the products they buy and that legitimate businesses do not suffer a loss of revenue on their investments.

Criminal Justice

To enhance the law enforcement response to counterfeiting, and in particular to organized crime involved in this illicit activity, UNICRI is actually creating and testing an investigative protocol in cooperation with the Italian National Antimafia Bureau and the Italian Economic Police (Guardia di Finanza).
The protocol will undergo a period of practical testing by the Italian Economic Police during a pilot.
This initiative will result in the creation of guidelines for law enforcement agencies on awareness raising and investigation in counterfeiting cases.
The project is being implemented thanks to the contribution of the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Torino.

Counterfeiting Reports

UNICRI first report on counterfeiting and organized crime analyzed the counterfeiting phenomenon and its consequences.
The Report focused on: 1) organized crime involvement in counterfeiting activities and on 2) health and safety risks for consumers deriving from specific counterfeit products.
To respond to the need for improved knowledge and increased awareness the Institute has created the informative web portal you are reading now and is working on its Report’s “Special Issues”.
Building on the experience acquired during the first Report, UNICRI is producing a series of Reports analyzing several specific counterfeit products, highlighting the involvement of organized crime. We are actually working on a Report dedicated to counterfeit medicines and organized crime, that will be soon followed by other Reports dedicated to: 1) counterfeit electrical components and spare parts; 2) counterfeit food and beverages; 3) counterfeit toys; and 4) trafficking in fake steroids and the problem of the use of doping in sports.

Anti-counterfeiting technologies

This component focuses on providing advice on the different technologies that may be used: 1) by producers to render their products more difficult to be counterfeited; and 2) by consumers to check the origin of what they purchased and make ethically sound purchase decisions . In particular the project intends to create a Committee of Experts through which the various types of technologies may be assessed with reference to their potential effectiveness and potential limits in: improving the producers’ capacity to choose the most suitable technology to protect their products; and in helping consumers verifying the source of their purchases. Periodic evaluation reports drafted by the panel of experts will be published as an output of the Committee’s activity.

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	UNICRI Programme on counterfeiting IPO/c The International Permanent Observatory on counterfeiting (IPO/c) is an extensive monitoring Programme to provide easy accessible and reliable data and information covering both the scope and scale of counterfeiting. The IPO/c wants to analyze the many different challenges arising from the phenomenon and the most appropriate responses and potential solutions to be undertaken nationally and internationally. Counterfeiting is a multifaceted problem that needs a complex response. UNICRI IPO/c has been designed to provide a multifaceted response, embracing different fields of activity. Research data collection and information sharing are at the core of the IPO/c. They constitute a fundamental resource to provide updated and reliable information to public and private organizations and to plan activities in other fields as in criminal justice or in anti-counterfeiting technologies. The IPO/c sphere of activities are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs arising from the international community, the private sector and the public at large. The main areas if activity are: Criminal Justice, Counterfeiting Reports, and Anti-counterfeiting Technologies. Its overall objective is to support the international community’s efforts to ensure that citizens can trust the products they buy and that legitimate businesses do not suffer a loss of revenue on their investments. Criminal Justice To enhance the law enforcement response to counterfeiting, and in particular to organized crime involved in this illicit activity, UNICRI is actually creating and testing an investigative protocol in cooperation with the Italian National Antimafia Bureau and the Italian Economic Police (Guardia di Finanza). The protocol will undergo a period of practical testing by the Italian Economic Police during a pilot. This initiative will result in the creation of guidelines for law enforcement agencies on awareness raising and investigation in counterfeiting cases. The project is being implemented thanks to the contribution of the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Torino. Counterfeiting Reports UNICRI first report on counterfeiting and organized crime analyzed the counterfeiting phenomenon and its consequences. The Report focused on: 1) organized crime involvement in counterfeiting activities and on 2) health and safety risks for consumers deriving from specific counterfeit products. To respond to the need for improved knowledge and increased awareness the Institute has created the informative web portal you are reading now and is working on its Report’s “Special Issues”. Building on the experience acquired during the first Report, UNICRI is producing a series of Reports analyzing several specific counterfeit products, highlighting the involvement of organized crime. We are actually working on a Report dedicated to counterfeit medicines and organized crime, that will be soon followed by other Reports dedicated to: 1) counterfeit electrical components and spare parts; 2) counterfeit food and beverages; 3) counterfeit toys; and 4) trafficking in fake steroids and the problem of the use of doping in sports. Anti-counterfeiting technologies This component focuses on providing advice on the different technologies that may be used: 1) by producers to render their products more difficult to be counterfeited; and 2) by consumers to check the origin of what they purchased and make ethically sound purchase decisions . In particular the project intends to create a Committee of Experts through which the various types of technologies may be assessed with reference to their potential effectiveness and potential limits in: improving the producers’ capacity to choose the most suitable technology to protect their products; and in helping consumers verifying the source of their purchases. Periodic evaluation reports drafted by the panel of experts will be published as an output of the Committee’s activity.