UKIPO will continue to fund PIPCU beyond June 2019

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has announced that the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will continue to fund the force beyond June 2019.

PIPCU, which is a department of the City of London Police tasked with investigating and deterring IP crime in the UK, took to Twitter yesterday, January 8, to confirm the news.

In a tweet, PIPCU said that “contrary to reports by a UK news site, we will still be funded by the UK Intellectual Property Office from June 2019”.

Ros Lynch, director of copyright and enforcement for the IPO, confirmed this position to WIPR.

“We are committed to funding PIPCU beyond June 2019 when the current funding runs out.

“The unit provides a positive impact on this type of crime, and discussions with the City of London Police on future funding is already very advanced,” Lynch added.

Speaking to WIPR, detective chief inspector Teresa Russell of PIPCU said: “PIPCU has always received two-year rolling funding from the IPO. While PIPCU’s funding does expire in June, the funding will be extended by the IPO.”

PIPCU was launched in 2013 with £2.56 million ($3.26 million) in funding from the IPO. In August 2017, PIPCU announced that it had received an extra £3.3 million ($4.2 million) to fund the force until June 2019.