INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CRIMES

Angelo et al examine the key areas of intellectual property (IP) law that provide the bases for criminal prosecutions. They analyze the theft of trade secrets and discuss trademark counterfeiting, copyright infringement, and patent violations. They also look at cable television and satellite descrambling and describe sentencing for IP crimes. IP constitutes a substantial portion of the American economy. IP rights are critical to both industry and government, so the government has made protection of IP rights a priority. But civil sanctions often do not deter infringement of intellectual property. Some IP thieves view civil damages simply as a cost of doing business.