At its northern Virginia headquarters, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) announced the recipients of its 2020 Partnership Awards during the inaugural private sector recognition ceremony. Awards were presented to a total of 32 organizations, including private sector companies, academic institutions and advocacy organizations, in seven categories: Operation Stolen Promise, E-Commerce Working Group, Sustained Partnerships, Evolving Partnerships, Operational Support, Trade Fraud Enforcement, and Counter-Proliferation Enforcement. Organizations were honored for their work, dedication, and shared commitment to safeguarding national and economic security, combating illicit trade, and protecting the health and safety of the American public.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges, but it has also hardened our resolve to protect consumers from substandard and dangerous counterfeit goods. None of the IPR Center’s fiscal year 2020 successes would have been possible without the support and partnerships of the private sector and academic community,” said IPR Center Director Steve Francis. “The organizations honored today are fully committed to intellectual property enforcement and understand there is no quick fix to the problem. While we always welcome new partners, we cherish those who have worked side-by-side with us over the years and we would like to say thank you for your past and future commitment.”
The Southern Shrimp Alliance was recognized for its contributions over many years to Trade Fraud Enforcement in a variety of different areas related to the importation of shrimp.
“From the first moment I set foot in its headquarters, I was blown away by the resources available to the IPR Center to support the protection of intellectual property and enforcement of our trade laws,” said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Over the last several years, I have been even more impressed by the government officials working together through the IPR Center who have demonstrated, time and again, an unwavering commitment to ensuring that family-owned businesses compete on a level playing field in the U.S. market. Looking at the other award recipients, the time and effort spent by the men and women at the IPR Center to help industries like the shrimp industry is truly remarkable. The Southern Shrimp Alliance looks forward to continuing to partner with the IPR Center for a long time to come.”
Read the IPR’s Announcement regarding the 2020 Partnership Awards: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ipr-center-announces-recipients-2020-partnership-awards-combating-intellectual
More information:
The 2020 award recipients:
OPERATION STOLEN PROMISE
· Pfizer
· Merck
· Johnson & Johnson
· Citi
· 3M
· OpSec Security
· Colgate-Palmolive
E-COMMERCE WORKING GROUP
· Amazon
· Alibaba
· eBay
· Walmart
· DHL
SUSTAINED PARTNERSHIPS
· International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
· Underwriters Laboratories
· U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Global Innovation Policy Center
· National Football League
EVOLVING PARTNERSHIPS
· Michigan State University, Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Center
· Motion Picture Association
· Phillip Morris International
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
· Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council
· Nike
· Recording Industry Association of America
TRADE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT
· Dutch Gold Honey
· Sunland Trading
· Southern Shrimp Alliance
· Parkdale Mills
· UNIFI, Inc.
· Milliken & Company
· Shagrin Associates
· Grace Farms
· University of Washington
COUNTER-PROLIFERATION ENFORCEMENT
· IBM
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, working collaboratively with its public and private sector partners, stands at the forefront of the United States government’s response to combatting global intellectual property theft and enforcing intellectual properties rights violations. The IPR Center was established to combat global intellectual property theft – and, accordingly, has a significant role policing the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods on websites, social media, and the dark web. To report IP theft or to learn more about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.
About the Award Categories:
OPERATION STOLEN PROMISE
Awarded to companies/organizations for their support of the IPR Center during COVID-19 and their proactive efforts to safeguard consumers during a world-wide pandemic.
E-COMMERCE WORKING GROUP
Awarded to companies who have committed to pursuing enhanced data-sharing among private sector e-commerce marketplaces and supply chains to prevent trafficking counterfeit goods.
SUSTAINED PARTNERSHIPS
Awarded to companies/organizations with a long-standing history of collaboration and partnership with the federal government to combat intellectual property theft, enforce U.S. trade laws and protect consumers.
EVOLVING PARTNERSHIPS
Awarded to companies/organizations that have established new efforts to enhance cooperation for existing operational programs to stay ahead of adversaries.
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
Awarded to companies/organizations that regularly provide investigative leads, share and analyze data, support criminal investigations and routinely provide industry training to IPR Center partners to address stakeholder concerns with copyright protection and enforcement efforts.
TRADE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT
Awarded to companies/organizations that assist with investigations into importation violations in an effort to protect U.S. consumers.
COUNTER-PROLIFERATION ENFORCEMENT
Awarded to companies/organizations that play a significant role in the IPR Center’s ability to safeguard national security and prevent adversaries from exporting critical technology across U.S. borders.
