Cook County Intellectual Property Crime Program

Through BJA’s FY2022 Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement Program, we seek funding to support one full-time prosecutor (ASA) for the proposed project that will service and benefit the population in Cook County, Illinois. We plan to accomplish the following goals:1) expand existing task force to include federal, state, and local law enforcement to conduct investigations, forensic analysis of evidence, and prosecutions in matters involving criminal laws related to IP theft; 2) enforce criminal laws related to IP theft; 3) educate law enforcement, prosecutors, and public and private industries to prevent, deter, and identify criminal violations of IP laws; 4) build capacity of the ASA and SAO personnel by attending trainings related to IP enforcement. Specifically, the full-time ASA, 100% dedicated to the program, will: 1) work with Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force (CCROC) and head the IP Crimes Committee to educate other task force members on IP crime and how to advance investigations and prosecutions; 2) conduct proactive and reactive investigations of IP theft within Cook County; 3) support investigation and prosecution of IP theft on local, state, and federal levels; 4) ensure deconfliction of participating agencies’ investigative and enforcement efforts; 5) increase community’s capacity to identify and report IP theft to increase the number of IP-related tips/leads received; 6) support existing partnerships and develop new relationships with CCROC entities, and 7) lead trainings on legal processes and statutory interpretations. The program will also: 8) increase the number of trainings attended by grant-funded ASA and SAO personnel and 9) develop a training on IP crimes that allow local and regional groups to network and be trained on investigative techniques. Major deliverables will include: 1) retaining one full-time ASA; 2) continue to expand the IP crime committee within CCROC; 3) developing and hosting one intellectual property training conference for law enforcement, prosecutors, and private and public industries; 4) increasing the number of trainings and educational presentations to the community to increase the community’s capacity to identify and report IP theft; 5) increase the number of trainings attended by the grant-funded ASA and SAO personnel.