Patent Law

The following is excerpted from a February 16, 2010 Morgan Lewis litigation lawflash:

On February 12, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of an Intellectual Property Task Force (Task Force) to target domestic and international intellectual property (IP) related crimes. According to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the establishment of the Task Force is part of a ?multi-faceted strategy? to be implemented by federal, state, and international partners. The Task Force will be headed by the Deputy Attorney General, and will include representatives from various components of the DOJ, including the Criminal, Civil, and Antitrust Divisions; the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys; and the FBI.

Friday?s announcement of the Task Force, coupled with the recent establishment of the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) in the Executive Office of the President, signals a renewed commitment by the federal government to aggressive enforcement of existing IP laws as well as the development of new laws and policies to combat IP theft. Attorney General Holder noted that as part of its mission, the Task Force will serve as ?an engine of policy development to address the evolving technological and legal landscape of this area of law.? Companies can expect to see in the immediate future more investigations and prosecutions based on violations of existing laws designed to punish IP theft. In addition, the Task Force has been charged with developing plans to expand the use of civil IP enforcement actions.

Read the full lawflash here.