"Intellectual property crime is not victimless," said Industry Minister Jacqui Smith, as she launched the strategy. "As well as cheating consumers, the trade in counterfeit goods costs UK companies billions of pounds and thousands of jobs every year."
The Government also warns that piracy and counterfeiting are commonly carried out by organised gangs, and consumers buying or using fake goods are likely to be funding criminals and money-launderers.
The strategy is for all the agencies and institutions already involved in fighting pirates and counterfeiters to work together to improve intelligence sharing, training, co-ordination of efforts, and the monitoring of progress and success by means of an annual national enforcement report.
This annual report will be used to advise a Strategic Tasking and Co-ordination Group that will then set enforcement and prevention priorities.