IP GENERAL: U.S. Government Accountability Office Releases Report on Effects of Counterfeit and Pirated Goods in U.S.

On April 12, 2010 the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on its efforts to quantify the economic effects of counterfeit and pirated goods in the U.S. The report, "Intellectual Property: Observations on Efforts to Quantify the Economic Effects of Counterfeit and Pirated Goods" (GAO-10-423) is a result of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008, which directed the GAO to provide information on the quantification of impacts of counterfeit and pirated goods.

The GAO conducted its research during a one year period from April 2009 to April 2010, and examined pre-existing research on the effects of counterfeiting and piracy on consumers, industries, government and the U.S. economy. The GAO also interviewed officials and experts from U.S. government agencies, industry associations, nongovernmental organizations and academic institutions. The report states that "quantifying the economic impact of counterfeit and pirated goods on the U.S. economy is challenging primarily because of the lack of available data on the extent and value of counterfeit trade." The experts and literature reviewed by the GAO produced different examples of the effects of counterfeit goods and piracy on the U.S. economy, and the GAO concluded that "despite significant efforts, it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the net effect of counterfeiting and piracy on the economy as a whole." No recommendations were made in the report.

The GAO's report can be found here.

Information concerning the GAO generally can be found here.