MONTREAL – Hundreds of police officers, investigators and federal officers gathered yesterday at the Quebec National Police Academy, in Nicolet, to share information and investigative techniques to combat piracy, counterfeiting and other forms of fraud at the first Conference on Intellectual Property hosted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec.
Intellectual property fraud is mainly related to the illegal counterfeiting and sale of consumer goods or services. This type of crime affects different areas of activities: theft of satellite television signals, and counterfeiting of designer clothes, popular household items and even pharmaceuticals. There are as many types of crime as there are unscrupulous people. In Canada, the police rely on the Copyright Act and the Criminal Code of Canada to arrest criminals.
Different agencies made presentations to the participants at the conference, including Health Canada, Industry Canada, Environment Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The participating partners also had information kiosks to explain the impact of this crime on our communities and show the many forms it can take.
“The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is committed to redouble its efforts to combat this crime that has serious consequences on the health and safety of citizens as well as on the Canadian economy,” said its press release at the end of the conference.
