IPR Center announces recipients of 2020 Partnership Awards for combating intellectual property, trade fraud crimes at inaugural awards ceremony

The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) announced Thursday the recipients of its 2020 Partnership Awards during theinaugural private sector recognition ceremony at its northern Virginia headquarters.

Awards were presented to 32 organizations, including private sector companies, academic institutions and advocacy organizations, in seven categories: Operation Stolen Promise, E-Commerce Working Group, Sustained Partnerships, Evolving Partnerships, Operational Support, Trade Fraud Enforcement, and Counter-Proliferation Enforcement. Organizations were honored for their work, dedication and shared commitment to safeguarding national and economic security, combating illicit trade, and protecting the health and safety of the American public.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges, but it has also hardened our resolve to protect consumers from substandard and dangerous counterfeit goods. None of the IPR Center’s fiscal year 2020 successes would have been possible without the support and partnerships of the private sector and academic community,” said IPR Center Director Steve Francis. “The organizations honored today are fully committed to intellectual property enforcement and understand there is no quick fix to the problem. While we always welcome new partners, we cherish those who have worked side-by-side with us over the years and we would like to say thank you for your past and future commitment.”

The 2020 award recipients:

OPERATION STOLEN PROMISE

Pfizer
Merck
Johnson & Johnson
Citi
3M
OpSec Security
Colgate-Palmolive
 

E-COMMERCE WORKING GROUP

Amazon
Alibaba
eBay
Walmart
DHL
 

SUSTAINED PARTNERSHIPS

International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
Underwriters Laboratories
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Global Innovation Policy Center
National Football League
 

EVOLVING PARTNERSHIPS

Michigan State University, Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Center
Motion Picture Association
Philip Morris International
 

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council
Nike
Recording Industry Association of America
 

TRADE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT

Dutch Gold Honey
Sunland Trading
Southern Shrimp Alliance
Parkdale Mills
UNIFI, Inc.
Milliken & Company
Shagrin Associates
Grace Farms
University of Washington
 

COUNTER-PROLIFERATION ENFORCEMENT

IBM
 

The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, working collaboratively with its public and private sector partners, stands at the forefront of the United States government's response to combatting global intellectual property theft and enforcing intellectual properties rights violations. The IPR Center was established to combat global intellectual property theft – and, accordingly, has a significant role policing the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods on websites, social media, and the dark web. To report IP theft or to learn more about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.

About the Award Categories:

OPERATION STOLEN PROMISE

Awarded to companies/organizations for their support of the IPR Center during COVID-19 and their proactive efforts to safeguard consumers during a world-wide pandemic.

 

E-COMMERCE WORKING GROUP

Awarded to companies who have committed to pursuing enhanced data-sharing among private sector e-commerce marketplaces and supply chains to prevent trafficking counterfeit goods.

 

SUSTAINED PARTNERSHIPS

Awarded to companies/organizations with a long-standing history of collaboration and partnership with the federal government to combat intellectual property theft, enforce U.S. trade laws and protect consumers.

 

EVOLVING PARTNERSHIPS

Awarded to companies/organizations that have established new efforts to enhance cooperation for existing operational programs to stay ahead of adversaries.

 

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

Awarded to companies/organizations that regularly provide investigative leads, share and analyze data, support criminal investigations and routinely provide industry training to IPR Center partners to address stakeholder concerns with copyright protection and enforcement efforts.

 

TRADE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT

Awarded to companies/organizations that assist with investigations into importation violations in an effort to protect U.S. consumers.

 

COUNTER-PROLIFERATION ENFORCEMENT

Awarded to companies/organizations that play a significant role in the IPR Center’s ability to safeguard national security and prevent adversaries from exporting critical technology across U.S. borders.