For Immediate Release
February 19, 2004

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
202) 324-3691

 

Remarks of FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Jana Monroe for Anti-Piracy Warning Press Conference 2/19/04 Los Angeles, CA

GOOD MORNING. I'M JANA MONROE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE FBI'S CYBER DIVISION. ON BEHALF OF FBI DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER, I AM PLEASED TO BE JOINED TODAY BY OUR PARTNERS IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO ANNOUNCE AN INITIATIVE AIMED AT COMBATTING THE CONTINUING PROBLEM INVOLVING THE THEFT OF COPYRIGHT-PROTECTED MATERIAL.

THE FBI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING THE THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. NOWHERE IS PIRACY AND THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MORE PREVALENT THAN IN CYBERSPACE. COPYRIGHT PROTECTED MATERIAL SUCH AS DIGITAL MUSIC, DIGITAL MOVIES, COMPUTER SOFTWARE, AND GAMES ARE ROUTINELY STOLEN AND DISTRIBUTED ILLEGALLY BY ORGANIZED GROUPS.

TO COMMIT THESE CRIMES, THESE GROUPS DISTRIBUTE STOLEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THROUGH THE USE OF WEB SITES, CHAT ROOMS, MASS E-MAIL, FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL, AND PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS.

THE THEFT OF COPYRIGHT-PROTECTED MATERIALS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS THE U.S ECONOMY. AS AN EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR, THE 4 INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, REPORTED APPROXIMATELY 3 BILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES DUE TO THE THEFT OF THEIR COPYRIGHT-PROTECTED WORKS. THESE LOSSES TRANSLATE INTO A LOSS OF JOBS THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY BY THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEIR LIVING LEGALLY PRODUCING THESE MATERIALS.

TO COMBAT THIS CRIME PROBLEM, THE FBI WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, AS WELL AS PRIVATE SECTOR ALLIANCES TO TARGET AND DISMANTLE THESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS.

ADDITIONALLY, AS PART OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT, THE FBI IS ALSO UNVEILING A NEW ANTI-PIRACY SEAL, WHICH WILL BE DISPLAYED PROMINENTLY ON DIGITAL AND SOFTWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES. THIS ANTI-PIRACY SEAL SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO THOSE WHO CONTEMPLATE THE THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, THAT THE FBI WILL ACTIVELY INVESTIGATE CYBER CRIMES, AND WILL BRING THE PERPETRATORS OF THESE CRIMINAL ACTS TO JUSTICE.

I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE BRAD BUCKLES, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ANTI-PIRACY FOR THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.

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