Software Industry Announcements and News
Home Photo Studio 2.15: Now Featuring HDR-Like Effect!
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.24.10 under Graphic Apps
February 24, 2010: AMS Software announces the release of a new version of Home Photo Studio, a convenient program for creative photo enhancement. Besides ample opportunities for photo editing, creating original greeting cards and decorating ordinary pictures with the help of numerous frames, tools, masks, filters and effects (such as 3D and plastic effects), Home Photo Studio 2.15 now supports unique HDR-like (High Dynamic Range) effect, which makes digital images really vivid and impressive.
Home Photo Studio was originally developed for uncomplicated photo editing, and, though new advanced features are constantly added, the program always remains easy-to-use and convenient. As for its effects and filters, they are easy to apply and produce the result instantly, changing a common picture beyond recognition and making it special.
Among the recently added features there is one-picture High Dynamic Range effect, a remarkable feature for producing an HDR-like image from a single photo. Usually an HDR image requires two pictures of the same object or landscape with different luminance; and creation of such an image involves time, skill and professional photo editing software.
Home Photo Studio is used by most users for creating original greeting cards, as the number of templates, frames and clipart images is quite extraordinary. Besides, effects and filters give free play to imagination and ensure creative photo enhancement: the user can add natural phenomena (such as stars, clouds, rain, snow and lightning), noise and blur, stylize a picture (ancient photo effect, pencil drawing, lithograph, etc.), adjust brightness and saturation and make complex combinations. The transparence of the effects can be adjusted, as well as the area to be processed (the top, the bottom, the center, the borders, etc.).
By the way, the Deluxe edition of Home Photo Studio is rich with extra advanced features: creation of 3D compositions, automatic creation of collages, plastic effects and import of PNG / Photoshop™ templates.
Features:
- Support of more than 20 graphics formats;
- pseudo-HDR effect;
- Convenient image cropping;
- Hundreds of filters, effects and masks;
- Fast photo enhancement and retouch;
- Creation of slideshows with smooth transition effects;
- Greeting card templates and picture frames;
- Automatic creation of collages and 3D compositions;
- Auto enhancement and red eye removal;
- Multi-language support: English, French, Italian, Spanish.
Pricing and Availability
A single-user license of Home Photo Studio runs under Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7. Standard edition costs 39.00 USD, Deluxe edition costs 59.00 USD. Further information on the product, as well as its free trial version, is available at http://home-photo-studio.com/
About AMS Software
Founded in 2003, AMS Software specializes in photo enhancement software. Among its major products are Frame Maker Pro, Photo Effects Studio, Media Show Pro, Beauty Studio and Auto Collage Studio. The products by AMS Software have got various awards from the Internet’s most respectable software download sites. For more information, please visit the company’s website at http://ams-photo-software.com
iOpus Reveals Swiss Army Knife for Google Chrome
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.24.10 under ASP Member Companies, Communications
Heidelberg, Germany, February 24, 2010 – As Google prepared to open its Chrome Extensions Gallery in early December, iOpus Software was working behind the scenes, creating a virtual Swiss Army Knife for the streamlined browser: iMacros for Chrome. Now absolutely anyone can use this powerful, free software to automate the most common tasks performed within the Chrome browser.
iMacros for Chrome is poised to become one of the top Chrome add-ons. For the past three years, iMacros has been wildly successful as a recommended add-on for the Firefox browser, with more than 4.7 million downloads and a growing gallery of scripts shared by end users.
iMacros for Chrome is similar to its iMacros Firefox predecessor, eliminating the repetitive, menial tasks involved in daily web browsing activities. iMacros fully automates common tasks such as posting feedback on eBay buyers, checking website visitor statistics, and downloading account information.
Google Chrome is a streamlined internet browser with a minimal design and sophisticated technology designed to make web browsing faster, easier, and safer. In November 2009, Google launched an extension site for developers, and the following month it made those extensions available to end users who seek browser add-ons like iMacros that add greater functionality to the browser.
With iMacros, Chrome users can create macros to automatically check the same sites every day, remember passwords, complete web forms, and upload or download files, among other tasks. As the company states in its tagline, “Whatever you do with Chrome, iMacros can automate it.”
iMacros has been compared to a Swiss Army Knife with many uses. It fills out forms automatically and serves as a highly secure password manager with 256-bit AES encryption. For developer, iMacros is also an easy-to-use web regression test tool.
Individuals with little or no programming experience have used the visual macro program to create diverse applications for iMacros for Firefox, and iOpus anticipates similar applications being developed for Chrome. Some notable examples include stockbrokers who create macros to extract online stock quotes, shoppers who use macros to automatically compare prices at online stores, and website owners who use macros to get daily updates on their page rankings.
iMacros pioneers a feature known as social scripting, which allows users to share macros and scripts in a way that is similar to how they share bookmarks on the many social bookmarking websites. After creating a new macro, users can share it with just one click as a link, either by distributing the link via email and social bookmarking websites or by embedding it in a website or blog for public access.
iMacros automates all possible Chrome features through the new Chrome Extension API. Unlike most other add-ons, which are merely a front-end for a web service, iMacros works directly in the browser for greater functionality and speed.
The iMacros for Chrome software is free for personal and commercial use. Users may opt to upgrade to the business version with guaranteed response times and advanced features. Additional information and the software download link are available online at http://www.iopus.com/imacros/chrome/
About iOpus Software GmbH
Founded in 1998 and headquartered near Heidelberg, Germany, iOpus GmbH builds cost effective software that is both powerful and easy to use. Its business products iMacros PRO and Scripting Edition are used by Website Operators, Internet Service Providers and other IT-Professionals worldwide. Free trial versions of these business products can be downloaded from http://www.iopus.com/
SharewareRadio.com interviews asknet
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.22.10 under Audio & Multimedia
SharewareRadio.com interviews asknet’s Aston Fallen
News Reports:
Google plans to test high-speed broadband
PayPal suspends personal payments to India
Taiwan eases LCD, chip foundry China investments
Warner to quit free music streaming
China shuts down training website for hackers
The Kiss My Butt Award of the Week
This week it goes to the Iranian Government
This week’s Interview
This week’s guest is Aston Fallen. Aston is the President of asknet and Vice President Global Sales
This interview was held in This interview was held in Boston at SIC 2009
Widespread Data Breaches Uncovered by FTC Probe
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.22.10 under Government News, Security & Privacy
FTC Warns of Improper Release of Sensitive Consumer Data on P2P File-Sharing Networks
The Federal Trade Commission has notified almost 100 organizations that personal information, including sensitive data about customers and/or employees, has been shared from the organizations’ computer networks and is available on peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks to any users of those networks, who could use it to commit identity theft or fraud. The agency also has opened non-public investigations of other companies whose customer or employee information has been exposed on P2P networks. To help businesses manage the security risks presented by file-sharing software, the FTC is releasing new education materials that present the risks and recommend ways to manage them.
Peer-to-peer technology can be used in many ways, such as to play games, make online telephone calls, and, through P2P file-sharing software, share music, video, and documents. But when P2P file-sharing software is not configured properly, files not intended for sharing may be accessible to anyone on the P2P network.
“Unfortunately, companies and institutions of all sizes are vulnerable to serious P2P-related breaches, placing consumers’ sensitive information at risk. For example, we found health-related information, financial records, and drivers’ license and social security numbers–the kind of information that could lead to identity theft,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “Companies should take a hard look at their systems to ensure that there are no unauthorized P2P file-sharing programs and that authorized programs are properly configured and secure. Just as important, companies that distribute P2P programs, for their part, should ensure that their software design does not contribute to inadvertent file sharing.”
As the nation’s consumer protection agency, the FTC enforces laws that require companies in various industries to take reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect sensitive personal information, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act. Failure to prevent such information from being shared to a P2P network may violate such laws. Information about the FTC’s privacy and data security enforcement actions can be found at www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/ promises_enf.html.
The notices went to both private and public entities, including schools and local governments, and the entities contacted ranged in size from businesses with as few as eight employees to publicly held corporations employing tens of thousands. In the notification letters, the FTC urged the entities to review their security practices and, if appropriate, the practices of contractors and vendors, to ensure that they are reasonable, appropriate, and in compliance with the law. The letters state, “It is your responsibility to protect such information from unauthorized access, including taking steps to control the use of P2P software on your own networks and those of your service providers.”
The FTC also recommended that the entities identify affected customers and employees and consider whether to notify them that their information is available on P2P networks. Many states and federal regulatory agencies have laws or guidelines about businesses’ notification responsibilities in these circumstances.
Samples of the notification letters can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/02/100222sampleletter-a.pdf, http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/02/100222sampleletter-b.pdf, http://www.ftc.gov/os/2010/02/100222sampleletter-c.pdf. The fact that a company received a letter does not mean that the company necessarily violated any law enforced by the Commission. Letters went to companies under FTC jurisdiction, as well as entities such as banks and public agencies over which the agency does not have jurisdiction.
The FTC appreciates the assistance of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency.
The new business education brochure – titled Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: A Guide for Business – is designed to assist businesses and others as they consider whether to allow file-sharing technologies on their networks, and explain how to safeguard sensitive information on their systems, and other security recommendations. This information is available at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/idtheft/bus46.shtm. Tips for consumers about computer security and P2P can be found at www.onguardonline.gov/topics/p2p-security.aspx.
The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.
FTC Cracks Down on Con Artists Who Target Jobless Americans
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.17.10 under Government News
FTC Cracks Down on Con Artists Who Target Jobless Americans
Scams Prey on Victims of the Recession With Bogus Job, Money-Making Schemes
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new crackdown on con artists who are preying on unemployed Americans with job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.
With the U.S. unemployment rate just under 10 percent, the FTC is redoubling its efforts to put a stop to these schemes, which make life even more difficult for hundreds of thousands of Americans already wrestling with the economic downturn.
As part of the law enforcement sweep announced today, dubbed “Operation Bottom Dollar,” the FTC has filed seven cases against the operators of deceptive and illegal job and money-making scams and announced developments in four previously filed job scam cases. In addition, the sweep includes 43 criminal actions by the Department of Justice, many involving the substantial assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as well as one additional civil action by the Postal Inspection Service and 18 actions by state attorneys general.
During a joint press conference today at the FTC, David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was joined by Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice; Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray; and a Grandview, Texas, job seeker who lost money to a company that made false promises of full-time work with benefits. The FTC also announced partnerships with the online job placement service Monster.com, the search engine Bing, by Microsoft, and the centralized network of online communities Craigslist, to help job seekers recognize job scams so they can avoid being victimized. Monster, Careerbuilder, Bing and Craigslist will display FTC consumer education material to people who are using the companies’ Web sites to look for jobs.
“Federal and state law enforcement officials will not tolerate those who take advantage of
consumers in times of economic misfortune,” Vladeck said. “If you falsely advertise that you will connect people with jobs or with opportunities for them to make money working from home, we will shut you down. We will give your assets to the people you scammed, and, when
it’s appropriate, we’ll refer you to criminal authorities for prosecution.”
“Employment and business opportunity fraud causes terrible hardship to those who are suffering the most in these difficult economic times,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tony West. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who defraud through false promises of employment or financial success.”
To help consumers avoid being conned by employment scams, the FTC has produced a new consumer education video in English and Spanish. Still shots from the Web sites of some of the operators charged in this law enforcement sweep, as well as video footage of FTC Consumer Protection Director Vladeck, and Monica Vaca, an Assistant Director in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, will also be available. To view them, go ftc.gov/jobscams and youtube.com/ftcvideos. For access to higher resolution versions, visit aperturefilms.com/ftc or contact the FTC’s Office of Public Affairs.
Operation Bottom Dollar: FTC Law Enforcement Actions
The FTC announced seven new cases against promoters of the job and money-making scams, including one that victimized more than 100,000 people. This brings to 11 the number of cases the agency has brought since last spring challenging these types of operations. In each case, the FTC got a court order temporarily barring these operators from continuing their deceptive, illegal tactics and freezing their assets. The FTC also is asking the courts for permanent orders that would allow the agency to try to get money back to reimburse victims. In two of the matters announced today, criminal authorities executed search warrants, and arrested the two operators of one of the businesses.
In the law enforcement actions announced today, the FTC charged that:
Government Careers Inc. and three principals preyed on job seekers since at least March 2009 by running deceptive ads on job Web sites. Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol, and wildlife jobs as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government. It told people they could get these jobs if they paid $119 for study materials, which would allow them to pass any required test with a score of 95 percent or better. But according to the FTC complaint, those who paid the fee found that there are no exams for the positions they sought, or that the supposed job vacancies did not exist. The company also hawked career counseling services, charging $965 for services like resume editing and employment exam preparation. Although the defendants said that consumers would not have to pay the fee until they got a government job, the defendants demanded payment before consumers obtained the promised jobs. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is the FTC’s co-plaintiff in this case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.
Real Wealth, Inc. and its principal allegedly conned more than 100,000 people by selling them booklets that supposedly explained how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home mailing postcards and envelopes. Using direct mail campaigns that sometimes targeted the elderly and disabled, Real Wealth lured consumers, according to the FTC complaint, with deceptive solicitations such as “Collect up to $9,250 with my simple 3 minute form” or “All I do is mail 30 postcards everyday and I make an extra $350 a week!” Real Wealth also claimed that consumers could “rake in up to $1,500+ per week or more in solid cash” by learning “secrets” about the “$700 billion banking industry bailout.” This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.
Darling Angel Pin Creations and two principals allegedly claimed on the Internet and in newspaper advertisements that by purchasing a starter kit, consumers could earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins, and that no experience, special tools, or sewing skills were required. Consumers paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies they would need to make the pins. However, according to the FTC’s complaint, there was a catch: Consumers were required to have one of their assembled angel pins approved by the company before they could make any money – but the company rejected nearly all the angel pins consumers submitted, no matter how well-made. The FTC charged that the defendants made false and baseless claims that consumers could earn substantial income from angel pin assembly, when in fact they could not. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the court issued interim orders with regard to all the defendants in the case prohibiting further misconduct.
Abili-Staff, Ltd., two principals, and a related entity sold supposed work-at-home opportunities online. Billing itself as a “scam free” and “legitimate” job search service, Abili-Staff sold supposedly pre-screened lists of jobs, telling consumers they could access the lists after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99, according to the FTC’s complaint. The FTC alleged that defendants falsely told consumers they would have unlimited access to more than 1,000 work-at-home job listings, and that they would get their money back if they did not get a job. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. The court issued a temporary restraining order pending a preliminary injunction hearing held February 16-17, 2010.
Entertainment Work, Inc. and two principals marketed memberships in a Web site that was supposed to list jobs as movie extras, jobs on television, or jobs in print media. By telemarketing and placing advertisements on Web sites and in newspapers across the country, the defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80 after two weeks, according to the FTC complaint. The FTC charged that Entertainment Work deceptively claimed consumers would
find entertainment and media jobs near where they lived, without regard to their experience, skills, or appearance. The complaint also charged that the company failed to disclose that to cancel their membership, people would have to pay an additional fee or undertake a burdensome process. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defendants have agreed to an interim court order that immediately halts the alleged misconduct.
Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. and its principal allegedly made false earnings claims, and additional misrepresentations in the course of selling a smorgasbord of work-at-home opportunities, including an envelope mailing opportunity, a postcard mailing opportunity, and a mystery shopper opportunity. Their deceptive practices have injured numerous consumers, including stay-at-home and single mothers. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely represented to consumers that they could make substantial amounts of money. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order pending a further hearing.
Preferred Platinum Services Network and the husband-and-wife team who owned and operated it allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product promoted by Preferred Platinum called “mortgage accelerator.” Advertised in local pennysavers and newspaper classified sections, and at the defendants’ Web site, the scheme touted earnings of up to $1 per postcard, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee. Consumers paid an enrollment fee of $80 to $90, and they typically did not learn until later that they would have to pay $40 more for each additional batch of 100 postcards, according to the FTC complaint. At the same time this matter was filed, criminal authorities executed search warrants on the business and arrested the husband-and-wife team, charging each of them with one count of mail fraud. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court issued a temporary restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction on February 16, 2010. Both individual defendants also have been indicted by a grand jury.
In addition to the seven cases announced today, since last summer, the FTC has settled or litigated four law enforcement actions stemming from employment and work-at-home scams:
Job Safety USA. Principal Wagner Ramos Borges allegedly systematically offered phony jobs to people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division, issued a default judgment ordering Borges to pay $414,900 – which is the estimated amount of his profits during the period covered by the FTC complaint. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm
Career Hotline, Inc. Career Hotline took money from job seekers by guaranteeing them jobs that paid at least $25,000 per year, according to the FTC complaint. The federal court in the Middle District of Florida issued a default judgment against Career Hotline ordering the company to pay $75,000, which is the estimated amount of money job seekers lost to this scam. In addition, the company’s principal, Susan Bright, reached a settlement with the FTC that prohibits her from deceiving consumers about job availability, salaries, access to interviews, job listings and refunds. The settlement order also includes a suspended judgment against her because she is financially unable to pay, but the full judgment will become due immediately if Bright misrepresented her financial condition. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/08/hotline.shtm
Penbrook Productions. The FTC complaint alleged that in this online scam, principal Michael Allen Brooks used fictional spokesperson “Angela Penbrook” to entice consumers to become “certified” rebate processors, supposedly earning as much as $225 per hour. A settlement approved February 10, 2010 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires the defendants to pay $125,000 within 10 days, plus a significant additional amount from assets they own that are to be liquidated. The settlement bars the defendants from making or assisting others to make deceptive claims in connection with work-at-home, franchise, or business opportunities. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange
International Marketing and principal Zolio Cruz Carrion falsely promised Spanish- speaking consumers substantial income for stuffing envelopes, and was charged in an FTC complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2008. The court granted the FTC’s motion to hold Cruz in contempt for failing to comply with an earlier order and briefly jailed him for contempt. It also prohibited him from marketing any business, employment, investment or work-at-home opportunity. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intermarketing.shtm
The FTC would like to acknowledge the assistance of: AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly; United States Postal Inspection Service, Tampa Field Office; Better Business Bureaus of Southern Arizona, West Florida, New Jersey, the Southland (Southern California), and Coastal, Central, & Southwest Texas; U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York, New Jersey and Western District of Missouri; Attorney General’s Offices of Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs; Ocean County New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs; and the Tucson Police Department.
The enforcement actions announced today named the following defendants: Government Careers Inc. – Jon Coover; Richard Friedberg; and Rimona Friedberg. Abili-Staff, Ltd. – Pamela Barthuly; Jorg Becker; and Equitron, LLC. Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc. – Shelly R. Olson and Judith C. Mendez; d/b/a/Angel Pin Creations. Entertainment Work, Inc. – Jason Barnes and Racquelle Barnes; d/b/a Resource Publishing Co. Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. – Wayne Verderber, II, d/b/a as National Data Management, N.D.M., Global Mailing Services, G.M.S., Independent Mailing Services, Independent Mailing Services, Inc., I.M.S., Independent Shoppers Network, Independent Shoppers, Success At Home, Success-At-Home Mailing, IMEX, IMEX, Inc., and Continental Publishing Company. Preferred Platinum Services Network – Rosalie Florie; d/b/a Home Based Associate Program and PPSN, LLC. and Philip D. Pestrichello, individually. Real Wealth, Inc. – Lance Murkin; doing business as American Financial Publications, Emerald Press, Financial Research, National Mail Order Press, Pacific Press, United Financial Publications, Wealth Research Group, and Wealth Research Publications.
NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of complaints when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. A stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the documents related to these cases are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
Justice Department Announces New Intellectual Property (IP) Task Force as Part of Broad IP Enforcement Initiative
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.12.10 under Government News
WASHINGTON—Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the formation of a new Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property as part of a Department-wide initiative to confront the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property (IP) crimes.
“The rise in intellectual property crime in the United States and abroad threatens not only our public safety but also our economic well-being. The Department of Justice must confront this threat with a strong and coordinated response,” said Attorney General Holder. “This task force will allow us to identify and implement a multi-faceted strategy with our federal, state and international partners to effectively combat this type of crime.”
The attorney general’s announcement follows a summit meeting convened last December by Vice President Biden, a long-standing champion of U.S. intellectual property rights-holders. At that meeting, which was attended by Attorney General Holder and other cabinet heads, the vice president discussed the importance of stronger enforcement and supported actions to raise the priority of combating IP theft and improving coordination—including the establishment of an intellectual property task force at the Department of Justice.
“Theft of intellectual property does significant harm to our economy and endangers the health and safety of our citizens,” said Vice President Biden. “This administration is committed to stronger and stricter enforcement of intellectual property rights, and this new task force is a step in the right direction.”
The task force, to be chaired by the deputy attorney general, will focus on strengthening efforts to combat intellectual property crimes through close coordination with state and local law enforcement partners as well as international counterparts. It will also monitor and coordinate overall intellectual property enforcement efforts at the Department, with an increased focus on the international aspects of IP enforcement, including the links between IP crime and international organized crime. Building on previous efforts in the Department to target intellectual property crimes, the task force will also serve as an engine of policy development to address the evolving technological and legal landscape of this area of law enforcement.
As part of its mission, the task force will work closely with the recently established Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), housed in the Executive Office of the President and charged with drafting an administration-wide strategic plan on intellectual property. As part of its mission, the task force will assist IPEC in recommending improvements to intellectual property enforcement efforts.
“Americans produce more technologies, more brands, more creative works and more innovation than any other nation on Earth,” said Victoria Espinel, the U.S. intellectual property enforcement coordinator. “President Obama is committed to ensuring that the value created by American workers and enjoyed by communities around the world is protected. The Justice Department’s new task force will play a critical role in supporting the administration’s ongoing efforts to protect American intellectual property and the millions of jobs that depend on it.”
The task force will include representatives from the offices of the attorney general, the deputy attorney general, and the associate attorney general; the Criminal Division; the Civil Division; the Antitrust Division; the Office of Legal Policy; the Office of Justice Programs; the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the FBI.
As part of its broader intellectual property initiative, the Department will also step up policy engagement with foreign law enforcement partners, develop a plan to expand civil IP enforcement efforts, and leverage existing partnerships with federal agencies and independent regulatory authorities such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission.