FY23 Intellectual Property Enforcement Program

The Houston Police Department will utilize the Major Offenders Division's Target Offenders Squad to coordinate with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and industry representatives that hold copyrights, patents, trademarks of intellectual property to identify criminal enterprises that illegally produce, distribute, and sell property that violates intellectual property laws. The Target Offenders Squad will pro-actively follow-up on tips and leads to develop confidential informants to investigate and prepare search warrants to disrupt organized criminal enterprises, arrest individuals that violate intellectual property laws, seize counterfeit property, and share information with the Homeland Security Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordinating Center (IPR). Additional funding for overtime will allow the Target Offenders Squad to conduct short- and long-term intellectual property investigations to combat the counterfeiting of goods, develop sources of information and perform undercover surveillance and tactical operations.