Montréal, June 4, 2008 - The Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have teamed up to co-host ten cross-Canada events to raise awareness and combat counterfeiting and piracy in Canada. The 2008 CACN/RCMP Canadian "Reality" Tour, which began in Vancouver on April 15, 2008, is scheduled to stop at 8 locations across Canada (Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Mississauga, Ottawa, Montréal, Moncton and Charlottetown) and will conclude at the 2008 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference, hosted by the RCMP and INTERPOL, in Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 24 to June 26, 2008.
The 2008 CACN/RCMP Canadian "Reality" Tour will stop at Montréal's Delta Centre-Ville Hotel on June 5.
Product counterfeiting has been described as the crime of the 21st Century and has the potential to be more devastating to the economy than any other illegal activity. The trafficking in counterfeit products is estimated to cost Canadians billions of dollars annually. Not only does product counterfeiting rob billions from our economy but it also places the health and safety of the consumer at risk and funds organized crime. Most notably, the counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals and so-called health products has caused significant concerns as they are increasingly being sold through the internet.
In Canada, and around the world, intellectual property crime (IP crime) is a serious crime that has arguably reached epidemic proportions and continues to grow. It is a criminal activity that is complex, sophisticated and as hard to eradicate as illegal drug operations. Examples of IP Crime span the economic spectrum and go far beyond the familiar news stories of music downloading, counterfeit designer goods and fake Swiss watches. Today, virtually no product is too obscure or insignificant for the counterfeiter and no industry is immune from this illegal activity.
On June 5, 2008, the CACN and the RCMP will host an event at the Delta Centre-Ville Hotel, 777 University Street from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is aimed at educating those in law and Regulatory enforcement about the effects of counterfeiting and copyright piracy in Canada. The CACN Reality tour features presentations by the CACN, the RCMP, the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Health Canada, the Canadian Recording Industry (CRIA), the Canadian Standards Association International (CSA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Cisco Systems, the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS), and the Eaton-Yale Company.
-30-
The Media are invited to view displays and interview, between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m., the following representatives of the organizations taking part in the event at the Delta Centre-Ville Hotel :
Frédéric Proulx, RCMP
Marie-Hélène Boisseau, Health Canada
Me Daniel Drapeau, CACN
Gary Osmond, ACDF
Jean-Yves Paquin and Rod Jones, CSA
Warren MacInnis, UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
For Further Information, please contact:
Communications Office
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
514 939-8308
