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IP Fridays.com Podcast Interview re: FBI Activities in Intellectual Property – FBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit

Yesterday, IPFridays.com, posted a podcast interview with FBI Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Eric M. Proudfoot:

SSA Proudfoot is the Acting Unit Chief for the FBI Intellectual Property Rights Unit and FBI representative to the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center in Crystal City, Virginia.

FBI Activities in Intellectual Property – Interview with FBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit – EU Copyright – BREXIT – Episode 110 – IP Fridays

Notably, SSA Proudfoot was the lead investigator into allegations of trade secrets theft by a former Apple employee involved in their self-driving program.

IPR CENTER

The IPR Center is composed of twenty-five (25) U.S. federal agencies including the City of London Police, Europol, Interpol, Mexican Revenue Service, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Director of the IPR Center is Steve K. Francis, Assistant Director, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Global Trade Investigations Division.

The following recent seizure of counterfeits valued at 20 million (U.S.) is a terrific example of the IPR Center’s multi-agency/international coordination success:

Cartagena IP enforcement team’s counterfeit seizures exceed $20 million

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Ron Alvarez is an IP investigations and protection consultant and writer in New York City. He is a former NYPD lieutenant where he investigated robbery, narcotics, internal affairs, and fine art theft cases. Ron has since coordinated the private investigation of international fraud and money laundering cases, as well as IP-related investigations and research involving the four pillars of IP: copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Ron is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and earned a B.A. in Government and Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. He has written a number of articles for various investigative publications, as well as published "The World of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection and Investigations" in November 2021.

1 comment on “IP Fridays.com Podcast Interview re: FBI Activities in Intellectual Property – FBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit

  1. Tom Manley

    Thank You Ron
    I enjoyed listening to the IP Friday Podcast of FBI Unit Chief
    Intellectual Property Unit Chief Eric Proudfoot
    Tom Manley
    Special Agent FBI – Retired

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