The Intellectual Property Office and Police Intellectual Property
Crime Unit (PIPCU)
are changing the way IP rights holders and enforcement partners
can submit intelligence relating to IP crime for analysis or
investigation.
From11th August 2025, the IPO is launching a new online
webform to enable submissions to be received directly by
the IPO's Intelligence Gateway team. This webform will replace
the previous PIPCU referral
form, and visitors to the PIPCU webpage
will now be redirected to the IPO when reporting intelligence.
The Gateway team will conduct an initial assessment and
prioritise submissions to determine the most appropriate course
of action. This could include further intelligence development
using the IPO's own capabilities, or onward referral to a law
enforcement agency for criminal investigation. The IPO will
liaise with PIPCU,
Trading Standards and other law enforcement agencies to explore
all potential avenues for disruption.
The Gateway team consists of intelligence officers and
intelligence managers who are trained by the College of Policing.
They work closely with the IPO's financial investigators and
intelligence analysts to develop intelligence packages
appropriate for onward referral to law enforcement. The Gateway
team also works with the IPO's IP Crime Coordinator network, who
are embedded within Trading Standards regions and collaborate
with law enforcement partners and stakeholders to gather
intelligence and help disrupt IP crime.
Kate Caffery, Deputy Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement
at the IPO said, “This change is an important step in ensuring
that police can focus their resources where they're needed most.
It will also support the IPO in coordinating IP crime
intelligence nationally, helping to ensure that IP rights in the
UK remain among the best protected in the world.”
The new webform can be accessed here: IPO Webform
Members of the public should continue to report the sale of goods
they believe are counterfeit to their local Trading Standards or
to Crimestoppers online.
