The NCPC’s Intellectual Property Theft Campaign

REMARKS

ANN M. HARKINS
PRESIDENT AND CEO
NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT PUBLIC EDUCATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

THE WHITE HOUSE
SOUTH COURT AUDITORIUM
NOVEMBER 29, 2011
1:00 – 2:00 PM

INTRODUCTION AND THANK YOUS

Thank You, Denise.  Hello, Everyone.  
ALL OF US AT THE NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL ARE PROUD AND HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO LAUNCH A FABULOUS BODY OF CREATIVE WORK.

OUR MISSION AT THE NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL (NCPC) IS TO BE THE NATION’S LEADER IN HELPING PEOPLE KEEP THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES SAFE FROM CRIME.  WE ARE THE HOME OF MCGRUFF THE CRIME DOG® -- OUR OWN VERY VALUABLE PIECE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

THIS CAMPAIGN IS THE PRODUCT OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NCPC AND THE DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE WHITE HOUSE, OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. 
 
WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION OF EVERYONE ON THE STAGE. THANK YOU, ALL.

AND THANK YOU TO SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, CONGRESSMAN JOHN CONYERS AND CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.  ALL OF THESE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE WORKED TO COMBAT IP THEFT THROUGHOUT THEIR IMPRESSIVE CAREERS.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK EVERYONE ON THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH WORKING GROUP OF DOJ’S IP TASK FORCE.  SPECIAL THANKS TO ITS CO-CHAIRS LAURIE ROBINSON, WHO LEADS OJP WITH HER DEFT HAND; AND ANDREA SHARRIN FROM CCIPS IN THE CRIMINAL DIVISION. 

THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE TO THANK -- THE MEMBERS OF OUR MEDIA CAMPAIGN ADVISORY TEAM; EVERYONE AT BJA, ESPECIALLY PAM CAMMARATTA AND KATE MCNAMEE AND AMERICA’S IP INDUSTRIES WHO CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO OUR ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 

WE ARE VERY LUCKY AND GRATEFUL THAT BOB SCHULTZ AND HIS STAFF AT THE CAUSEWAY AGENCY, DEVOTED THEIR AMAZING SKILLS AND TALENTS TO THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU, BOB AND TRIWI (TREEWEE).

AND THANK YOU, CHRIS MOESSNER, OF MOESSNER AND ASSOCIATES FOR YOUR FINE WORK ON THE FOCUS GROUPS AND ONLINE SURVEY RESEARCH. I AM PROUD TO SAY THIS WITH 2 MEMBERS OF THE NCPC BOARD HERE—DAVID DEAN, OUR CHAIR AND BOB DIEGELMAN, VICE CHAIR. 

DAVID IS HERE WITH THE DELEGATION FROM NORTH TEXAS CRIME PREVENTION AND HAS BROUGHT WITH HIM SOME STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.  SUSAN REED FROM GARRETT, COUNTY, VA.  HARRY COLLUM, BUSINESS MAN FROM DALLAS.  STEVE ADAMS, RIVERSIDE, CA CITY COUNCILMAN.  VICKERS CUNNINGHAM, A FORMER DISTRICT JUDGE FROM DALLAS. 
ALL OF THIS PROJECT IS DEPENDENT ON US WORKING TOGETHER WITH FOLKS AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.

AND THERE IS NO ONE TO WHOM WE OWE MORE GRATITUDE FOR THIS OUTSTANDING CAMPAIGN THAN THE NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL’S TERRIFIC STAFF-- SPECIFICALLY, MICHELLE BOYKINS (WHO’S DONE A TERRIFIC JOB).

THE RESEARCH

WE DO OUR HOMEWORK AT NCPC.
RESEARCH IS THE KEY FIRST STEP.
 
THE RESEARCH HELPED US FIND OUT

•    WHAT OUR TARGET AUDIENCE, ADULTS AGES 18 TO –30, ALREADY KNEW AND THOUGHT ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (NOT ENOUGH);

•    WHAT MESSAGES AND MESSENGERS WILL RESONATE WITH DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THAT AUDIENCE.

THE RESEARCH TELLS US THAT:

•    THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS WIDESPREAD.

•    THE PUBLIC THINKS IP CRIME IS VICTIMLESS.

•    THE “LURE OF THE BARGAIN” OVERCOMES THE MORAL COMPASS ALMOST EVERY TIME.

•    THERE IS A MARKED LACK OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS AND EFFECTS OF IP THEFT.
 
PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE OR APPRECIATE THAT:

•    SOME PRODUCTS THEY CONSUME EVERY DAY CAN BE DANGEROUS COUNTERFEITS POSING THREATS TO THEIR OWN AND OTHERS’ HEALTH AND SAFETY;
 
•    INDIVIDUAL WORKING PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOBS AS A RESULT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT.

•     GANGS AND ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL CRIME ENTERPRISES ARE OFTEN PROFITING FROM IP THEFT.

FORTUNATELY, THE RESEARCH ALSO TELLS US WE HAVE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY – TO TEACH THE PUBLIC ABOUT IP THEFT AND TO REDUCE DEMAND.

•    PEOPLE LIKEN IP THEFT TO ROBBERY OR SHOPLIFTING WHICH THEY KNOW IS WRONG.
 
•    THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT HEARING ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT THAT WOULD DETER OR CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR.

•    LARGE MAJORITIES BELIEVE THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION, BUT DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN TO GET IT.

WE’RE HERE TO CHANGE THAT.

HATS OFF TO THE WISDOM OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT!  THEY SAW, AS DIRECTOR MORTON SAID, THAT TO GET PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DETER THEIR BARGAIN HUNTING BEHAVIORS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE DEMAND SIDE OF THE EQUATION THROUGH PUBLIC AWARENESS.

 
OUR RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS US THAT THE MESSAGES HAVE TO BE:

•    PERSONALLY RELEVANT
 
•    FIRMLY BASED IN FACT, AND

•    DESCRIPTIVE OF THE POTENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, ECONOMIC AND MORAL CONSEQUENCES TO THE BUYERS AND OTHER PEOPLE. 


OUR GOAL IS TO ADVANCE TO A POINT WHERE:

•    PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT 
 
•    RECONSIDER THEIR BEHAVIOR, AND

•    APPRECIATE THAT JUST BECAUSE A PRODUCT MAY BE CHEAP OR EVEN FREE, IT MAY NOT BE A BARGAIN AT ALL.

THE WORK

AS WE SHARE THE WORK LET ME POINT OUT THAT IN TODAY’S INFORMATION AGE WE MUST COMMUNICATE OUR MESSAGES THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEDIA. THUS, EDUCATED BY OUR RESEARCH, WE HAVE DEVELOPED PRODUCT FOR RADIO, TELEVISION, PRINT, SOCIAL MEDIA, THE WEB, AND MALLS.  WE WANT TO SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC EVERY WHERE THEY ARE.

 
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT MCGRUFF CONTINUES TO BE A STRONG MESSENGER – ESPECIALLY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-RELATED HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES. FINALLY, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP AND INVOKE A CLEAR PUBLIC CALL TO ACTION BECAUSE THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW MORE.  WE SOUND THAT CALL THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS MESSAGES AND MEDIA. 

OUR CALL TO ACTION IS:

 “COUNTERFEITS HURT. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THEM.”

THIS WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, SO LET’S GET TO IT.
 
THE FIRST PIECE THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU IS “PREMONITION”. WE SEE THAT THE EVERYDAY AND APPARENTLY HARMLESS ACT OF BUYING A COUNTERFEIT DVD OR OTHER ITEMS FROM A STREET VENDOR CAN HELP FUEL CHILD LABOR AND GANGS AND RESULT IN INNOCENT WORKING PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK.

“PREMONITION” PLAYS
 
FOR THIS AD WE HAVE TO SAY A SPECIAL “THANK YOU” TO MTV NETWORKS. ALICIN WILLIAMSON IS HERE REPRESENTING CHRIS ERNST, AUDREY SINGER, MATT HERRON AND PATRICK O’SULLIVAN. GREAT JOB!
 
 
THE NEXT IS A RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE AD, FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER, CALLED “YOU CAN HELP.”  IN IT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SPEAKS TO AMERICANS ABOUT HOW STREET GANGS AND ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES ARE PROFITING FROM SELLING A RANGE OF COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS TO FUND DRUG TRAFFICKING AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES.

“YOU CAN HELP” PLAYS

THANK YOU, ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER, FOR ADDING YOUR CREDIBLE VOICE AND IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THIS EFFORT.

 
THE NEXT RADIO AD, CALLED “EVERYDAY PEOPLE,” MAKES THE SAME POINT BUT WITH A DIFFERENT MESSENGER. IN THIS SPOT WE HEAR FROM A FORMER GANG MEMBER WHO TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND AND IS NOW A PASTOR.  HE KNOWS FIRST HAND HOW GANGS USE PROFITS FROM SELLING COUNTERFEIT DVDS OR OTHER IP PRODUCTS AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THEIR (PAUSE) “OTHER ACTIVITIES.”

“EVERYDAY PEOPLE” PLAYS.

ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT IS THE DANGER THAT COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS CAN POSE TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE PUBLIC. NOWHERE IS THIS DANGER MORE TROUBLING THAN WHEN IT INVOLVES OTHERWISE LEGITIMATE LOOKING DRUGS AND PHARMACUETICALS MADE OF INGREDIENTS SUCH AS GROUND UP BRICKS AND FLOOR WAX.

WE HEAR FOM A CONCERNED COUPLE IN THIS RADIO AD, “DANGEROUS FAKES,” AS THEY DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDING UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM IF THEY ARE NOT CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT DRUGS AND MEDICINES THEY BUY AND WHERE THEY BUY THEM.

“DANGEROUS FAKES” PLAYS.

THE AD ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME, CALLED “FAKES,” AND THE AD ON THE STAGE TO MY RIGHT CALLED “LAST PILL,” EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO THESE DANGERS.

SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DANGERS ARE POSED BY A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS. THESE INCLUDE ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS -- EXTENSION CORDS, HOLIDAY LIGHTS, BATTERIES; PRODUCTS WE INGEST LIKE -- BABY FORMULA AND TOOTHPASTE; AUTO PRODUCTS WE RELY ON EVERY DAY, COMPUTER COMPONENTS, EVEN PARTS USED IN MILITARY EQUIPMENT.

THE PRINT AD TO MY LEFT ON THE STAGE, CALLED “BURNED,” ADVISES CONSUMERS TO BE CAREFUL TO BUY LEGITIMATE PRODUCTS OR THEY MAY FACE SERIOUS RISKS SUCH AS FIRE IN THEIR HOMES.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT HAS SERIOUS EFFECTS ON JOBS, COMPANIES AND THE WHOLE ECONOMY. THIS NEXT RADIO AD IS CALLED “BARGAIN HUNTERS.”  IN IT, A WOMAN CONVINCES HER SISTER THAT A SO-CALLED BARGAIN IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE.

“BARGAIN HUNTERS” PLAYS.

THE PRINT AD ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME, CALLED “SNEAKERS,” AGAIN TAPS INTO THE IDEA THAT THE SO-CALLED BARGAIN IS REALLY A FORM OF THEFT.  IT SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT THE “STEAL” YOU THINK YOU ARE GETTING FROM BUYING CHEAP COUNTERFEIT GOODS, IS JUST THAT, “STEALING.”
 
THE LAST PRINT AD TO THE LOWER LEFT OF THE STAGE  SHOWS A SEEMINGLY STYLISH YOUNG WOMAN WEARING A VARIETY OF CHEAPLY PURCHASED COUNTERFEIT GOODS.  IT SEEKS TO DETER PEOPLE FROM BUYING AND WEARING THESE PRODUCTS. RATHER THAN LOOKING FASHIONABLE, SHE LOOKS LIKE A THIEF AND A PHONY, OR AS THE AD CALLS HER, A “FASHIONISTA.”

WE NEED TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HOW PERSONAL BEHAVIOR HURTS REAL INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE -- STRUGGLING YOUNG ARTISTS, BEHIND-THE-SCENES BLUE COLLAR WORKERS AND OTHERS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

THIS RADIO SPOT, CALLED “WORTH BUYING,” EXPLAINS WHY WE SHOULD PAY FOR THE QUALITY PRODUCTS WE ENJOY.

“WORTH BUYING” PLAYS.

ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME IS A PRINT AD CALLED “JOBS PIRACY,”  FEATURING A REAL PERSON. BEVERLY IS AN ELECTRICIAN WHO WAS LAID OFF FROM HER JOB ON A TV SHOW BECAUSE THE PRODUCTION COMPANY WAS SUFFERING LARGE LOSSES FROM THEFT OF ITS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.  SHE WAS UN-EMPLOYED FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS BEFORE LANDING ANOTHER JOB.

WE HAVE ALL SEEN IT IN SUBWAY AND METRO SYSTEMS ALL OVER THE WORLD: THE STRUGGLING YOUNG MUSICIAN PLAYING A GUITAR AND SINGING WITH THE CASE OPEN FOR TIPS. BUT I DON’T THINK WE HAVE EVER SEEN IT QUITE THE WAY THE STORY IS TOLD IN OUR FINAL AD. 
 
IT MAKES THE POINT CREATIVELY AND COMPELLINGLY THAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT, ILLEGALLY DOWNLOADING MUSIC FOR EXAMPLE, IS STEALING FROM PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING. 

 “IT HURTS” PEOPLE LIKE THIS VERY REAL YOUNG WOMAN PLAYING AND SINGING IN THE SUBWAY.

“IT HURTS” PLAYS

WASN’T THAT TERRIFIC?  AND ADDIE BROWNLEE, THE SINGER/GUITARIST/SONGWRITER, IS HERE WITH US TODAY.  ADDIE PLEASE STAND UP.   AND THANK YOU!
 
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THIS CAMPAIGN AND TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY.

LET ME MAKE A FINAL PLEA TO ALL OF YOU TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT:

COUNTERFEITS HURT.  YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THEM.