To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made by the UK Intellectual Property Office in implementing a plan on intellectual property enforcement. (227176)

Since the Patent Office (now the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO)) launched its IP Crime Strategy in 2004, it has become a key player in co-ordinating efforts to deal with intellectual property enforcement in the UK and internationally. The UK-IPO is taking forward its plans for IP enforcement as set out in Commitment 16 of “Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy” (published in February 2008). It is funding an enforcement pilot related to the ‘Fake Free London’ campaign. It is developing plans for a National Centre of Excellence on IP Crime. It is holding a consultation on penalties for copyright infringement (published 11 August, closes 31 October). The UK-IPO is also updating its IP Crime Strategy as the enforcement landscape has changed considerably in the past four years.