MSU ACAPP Center and IPR Center Enter New Agreement
August 27, 2020 - Jocelyn Tucker
The Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection, or A-CAPP Center, at Michigan State University is now officially a new and the first academic partner with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, or IPR Center.
As part of Homeland Security Investigations, the IPR Center signed an agreement with the A-CAPP Center to focus on the important issues of intellectual property, brand protection and anti-counterfeiting strategies, which are becoming of increased importance in our global economy. The IPR Center and the A-CAPP Center have a long history of working together and the IPR Center has been a liaison to the A-CAPP Center Industry Advisory Board since June of 2015.
Photo: Francis and Rojek met at the MSU College of Law on August 27, 2020 for a signing event where they discussed the importance and relevance of the agreement. Photo Courtesy, Jackie Hawthorne, MSU College of Social Science
“One of our first joint projects is the development of quarterly awareness reports that provide valuable insight on counterfeiting issues to stakeholders and the public,” said Jeff Rojek, the director of the A-CAPP Center. “The additional benefit of these projects is we can integrate the A-CAPP internship students into them, which provides valuable experience to our students that represent the future workforce for our law enforcement and industry partners addressing counterfeiting.”
The agreement focuses on vital areas of intellectual property, brand protection and anti-counterfeiting strategies. The agreement will also facilitate knowledge transfer between the center and university to share mutually beneficial information, research and technology that will advance intellectual property enforcement.
“I’m excited to formalize our longstanding relationship with MSU making them the center’s first academic partner and look forward to forging new pathways to educate consumers, stabilize the U.S. economy, protect small business owners and potentially recruit future federal government leaders,” said Steve Francis, the IPR Center director and MSU School of Criminal Justice alumni.
About the A-CAPP Center at Michigan State University: The A-CAPP Center is an independent, interdisciplinary evidence-based hub whose activities focus on research, education and outreach designed to assist in protecting brands and products of all industries worldwide. The A-CAPP Center falls under the College of Social Science. Learn more at a-capp.msu.edu
About the IPR Center: IPR Center brings together public and private partners, in a task force setting utilizing a three-pronged approach (interdiction, investigation, and community outreach), to coordinate a whole-of-government and industry response to combat intellectual property theft, and enforce U.S. international trade laws. Learn more at iprcenter.gov .