How big a problem is IP theft? Which sectors are most affected?
Piracy, counterfeiting and the theft of intellectual property assets pose a serious threat to all American businesses. According to the FBI, Interpol, the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce estimates, roughly 7-8% of world trade every year is in counterfeit goods. That is the equivalent of as much as $512 billion in global lost sales. Of that amount, U.S. companies lose between $200 billion and $250 billion. IP theft has a major impact at home, too: according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, overall intellectual property theft costs 750,000 jobs a year. IP theft poses a risk to all industry sectors; those most commonly affected by IP theft are manufacturing, consumer goods, technology, software, and biotechnology, including pharmaceuticals.
