Intellectual Property Rights


September 3, 2010

Intellectual property rights—gives individuals the ability to protect properties they develop or create…


Audio Transcript

Ms. Ballew: Intellectual property rights—gives individuals the ability to protect properties they develop or create…

Mr. Miller: “So there’s a way to lay claim to it if somebody else tries to use the exact same product.”

Ms. Ballew: Zack Miller, section chief in the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters, says criminals can take advantage of these rights.

Mr. Miller: “The Internet has just enabled the criminals to increase their distribution network. Instead of off the back of a truck, they can put it online.”

Ms. Ballew: And develop potential customers. Criminals can steal and sell a real product…

Mr. Miller: “What they can also do, and what they are doing, is they can create a counterfeit product.”

Ms. Ballew: In the case of a pharmaceutical drug…

Mr. Miller: “The counterfeit product may not contain the real ingredients. Unless the ingredients are analyzed at a lab, you don’t actually know what you’re buying.”

Ms. Ballew: These counterfeit drugs can be marketed for specific health concerns on seemingly legitimate websites, even if the items haven’t been approved for sale.

Mr. Miller: “The health risk is the overriding concern, because there’s no guarantee that what you’re being sold contains the ingredients that it’s supposed to, and it could potentially contain harmful ingredients.”

Ms. Ballew: www.fbi.gov has more information. I’m Denise Ballew of the Bureau and that’s what’s happening at the “FBI, This Week.”

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