Federal Agencies Launch "Operation Chain Reaction"

Federal Agencies Launch "Operation Chain Reaction"

content.govdelivery.com

WASHINGTON - The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) has announced "Operation Chain Reaction," a new comprehensive initiative targeting counterfeit items entering the supply chains of the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies.

"Counterfeit and pirated goods present a triple threat to America," said ICE Director John Morton. "They rob Americans of jobs and their innovative ideas; fuel organized crime; and create a serious public safety risk.

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Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Do I have Intellectual Property Rights for what I Write?
Intellectual Property Laws Bad for Society/Americans?
New Public Service Announcement Launched To Raise Intellectual Property Theft Awareness
The Mickey Mouse Protection Act

Well, here it comes, and I am not saying I can blame anyone.

I do believe in intellectual property rights to a large extent.

If I created something, worked at making money from it, and someone stole it I would be pissed off, and I would want someone to assist taking it back other than a lawyer in a courtroom.

Quote from : U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement : Federal Agencies Launch "Operation Chain Reaction"

Nine of the 18 IPR Center members are participating in "Operation Chain Reaction." They include:

* U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
* U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
* Federal Bureau of Investigation
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service
* Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)
* U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit
* General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General
* Defense Logistics Agency, Office of Inspector General
* U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations

But on the other side of that coin I understand the high prices being exorbitant, artists not always getting a fair deal, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry getting their grubby hands on items prior to my getting it making the prices quadruple through middlemen.

There has been a large uptick in the Federal Government acting more aggressively.

In case no one has noticed it.

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reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


Has anyone else noticed the uptick in aggressive behavior in Government?

I'm not talking about the Media feed-frenzy over Weiner and his actions.

Although that is one such thing in the whole I am speaking in regards to.

There have been a lot of major Law Enforcement take downs lately across the nation.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


It long overdue. The procurement racket in the government is a large part of the problem - and precisely where the worst offenders are.

Too bad they won't be looking into their own organizations (yet).... but it will boil down to our own 'weak links' in the chain.

reply to post by Maxmars


Not sure about their not cleaning house within Government not happening.

There has been a very huge amount of lawyers fleeing offices within Government.

Almost did a thread just based on that alone a while back.

Is this going to interfere with me getting bootleg movies from the flea market?

If so, BOO!

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
Is this going to interfere with me getting bootleg movies from the flea market?

If so, BOO!

The majority of this looks like it's regarding outside of the U.S. coming in.

Quote from : CBP Seizes More Than 100,000 Baseball Caps and Toys for IPR Violations

Otay Mesa, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and import specialists at the Otay

Mesa port of entry seized more than 100,000 baseball caps and remote-controlled toy cars for intellectual property rights violations.

In mid-April, CBP officers processing trucks exporting goods out of the U.S. pulled aside a shipment of baseball caps, offloaded the cargo and presented a sample to a CBP import specialist for examination.

So stopping imported nonsense.

I'm sure they will go inwards following the trails of buyers later.

And then cleaning up inside going out like a colonoscopy gone wrong.

I vehemently oppose intellectual property rights, copyrights, patents and all other forms of government granted monopolies for many reasons.

1. They stifle advancement in technology. The idea of taking a product and making it better being a crime due to some violation of an arbitrary rule prevents rapid development of technologies. Since it makes competition near impossible, development stagnates.

2. They create an artificially inflated cost to the consumer. By granting a monopoly on a product or idea the producer is able to ignore the true market value of the product.

3. They burden the population with unnecessary taxation. In the end every legal challenge relating to these concepts costs the tax payer with its litigation.

I could go on and on, but in the end, it doesn't really matter, since the sheeple are unwilling to see the gun in the room and put an end to the oppression of the population and the market place known as government.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
I vehemently oppose intellectual property rights, copyrights, patents and all other forms of government granted monopolies for many reasons.

Believe me, I do not believe in monopolies, especially like Bill Gates.

However, I do believe people should have rights protected, intellectual or otherwise.

There is nothing wrong with patents if they protect people's rights.

But when patent offices are bought, corporations burying technology, or people are killed.

That is where I draw the line.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
1. They stifle advancement in technology. The idea of taking a product and making it better being a crime due to some violation of an arbitrary rule prevents rapid development of technologies. Since it makes competition near impossible, development stagnates.

It only stagnates in regards to the patent.

If someone invents something completely different?

Not so much so.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
2. They create an artificially inflated cost to the consumer. By granting a monopoly on a product or idea the producer is able to ignore the true market value of the product.

I can see where this might be the case for some people in the past.

When it came Tesla verses Edison and AC power verses DC power.

But what about people who steal others ideas and manipulate the product value the other way?

Originally posted by NuroSlam
3. They burden the population with unnecessary taxation. In the end every legal challenge relating to these concepts costs the tax payer with its litigation.

Only if it goes to court.

Many corporations settle out of court.

It is a much more complex issue then you're relating to here.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
I could go on and on, but in the end, it doesn't really matter, since the sheeple are unwilling to see the gun in the room and put an end to the oppression of the population and the market place known as government.

Government is not the only problem when it comes to these issues.

Greedy corporations are just much a part of the problem.

As are unethical people stealing property owned by others who profit off of others work.

dont you people know they only people allow to steal and counterfeit is the us government

when us little people do it that takes cash outta their pockets.

i am not a big advocate on "intellectual property rights" because 99% of it is crap charging an outraegous price

however i have no problems paying when its the good stuff.

many people feel that they are getting ripped off and indeed they are.

i am confused as to the government buying fake stuff i mean come on are they that stupid in the first place?

china is the largest ripoff artist in the world everyone knows this

and yet they use that as an excuse for more bloated more corrupt government

that is the end all be all of our existence.

i say nay.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


Bill Gates doesn't have a monopoly. Not unless you consider the overall laziness of people to just buy MS products because they are easier (which is good marketing and development).

I run Windows XP on this laptop. I like it ok...but i really prefer Ubuntu. I run Ubuntu on all other computers. As soon as Windows gives me trouble, i reimage with Ubuntu. I keep a backed up /home folder on external storage so a reimage takes me all of 20 minutes.

If you make a simple choice to change to Ubuntu, you too can be free of the costly MS yoke. Or the even more costly Apple yoke.

Speaking of which, i swear people only like having two choices. Any system which presents only two choices will be the system that is most often perpetuated.

reply to post by neo96


I do not buy cheap crap that falls apart easily.

I personally inspect it prior to buying it and never buy bootlegs.

The one and only place you cannot inspect items you're buying is online.

You can see pictures but you cannot tell of manufacturing quality.

There are just certain things within society that need protecting from thieves.

Intellectual property is one of them as long as it is not abused.

Rare of course, rare indeed that is not abused, but this does not mean protection should be less.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


ditto on looking before you buy

when it comes to online purchasing that why i only use the names i know and trust

and read the reviews of the site and product.

but that article seeks the protection of that property at our expense when the bigger villians arent addressed.

what will happen is we will be paying more for the stuff we buy.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

 

Bill Gates doesn't have a monopoly. Not unless you consider the overall laziness of people to just buy MS products because they are easier (which is good marketing and development).

I wholeheartedly disagree.

Bill Gates stole "Windows" from Apple in the beginning which was called "User Friendly".

And Gates manipulative conniving in forcing others to use his property is insane.

He did not get rich due to people's laziness he got rich due to his greediness.

I suggest you do some real digging into the Apple verses Windows fiasco.

And I'm not saying I support Apple over P.C. it is the ethics of all of it I disagree with.

Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Steve Wozniak only got rich off of other people's work.

Not that I believe I.B.M. or any other corporation were beneficial they rob us blind too.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
I run Windows XP on this laptop. I like it ok...but i really prefer Ubuntu. I run Ubuntu on all other computers. As soon as Windows gives me trouble, i reimage with Ubuntu. I keep a backed up /home folder on external storage so a reimage takes me all of 20 minutes.

Great, glad to hear you prefer Ubuntu over Windows XP, I applaud your choice.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
If you make a simple choice to change to Ubuntu, you too can be free of the costly MS yoke. Or the even more costly Apple yoke.

All of them are far too costly.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Speaking of which, i swear people only like having two choices. Any system which presents only two choices will be the system that is most often perpetuated.

I do not like two choices although I see and agree with you about people liking that.

When I get two choices I pick a third choice.

Mine.

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

 

ditto on looking before you buy

when it comes to online purchasing that why i only use the names i know and trust

and read the reviews of the site and product.

but that article seeks the protection of that property at our expense when the bigger villians arent addressed.

what will happen is we will be paying more for the stuff we buy.

I'm sure quite a bit of this is between American and Chinese Governments.

When it comes down to it China bought our debt and America cried "lead in toys" to undermine.

So, some of this is between nations, some of it is local nonsense.

I only buy from companies I trust and with past history of my purchases.

Personally, I see American workers getting lazier, just as much as corporations get greedier.

As well I'm sure some of this comes from that idiotic N.A.F.T.A. nonsense.

Originally posted by SpartanKingLeonidas
Believe me, I do not believe in monopolies, especially like Bill Gates.
However, I do believe people should have rights protected, intellectual or otherwise.
There is nothing wrong with patents if they protect people's rights.
But when patent offices are bought, corporations burying technology, or people are killed.
That is where I draw the line.

At its very core the corporation is a government granted monopolistic construct. The government protects the interests of the corporation in the end at the end of a barrel. By removing government from the equation the power to reward or punish then becomes the right and responsibility of the consumer.

It only stagnates in regards to the patent.
If someone invents something completely different?
Not so much so.

I think you are missing my point, yes, the inventor of a product has every right to the fruits of his labor, yet he does not have the right to prevent someone from taking his idea and making it better, because that is the fruit of the others labor. At that point it becomes his right to either improve his product or not. IP rights, patents and copyrights allow the original party to artificially inflate the price of the product and and prevent improvments in a technology.

I can see where this might be the case for some people in the past.
When it came Tesla verses Edison and AC power verses DC power.
But what about people who steal others ideas and manipulate the product value the other way?

Its not stealing to see an idea and say, hey, you know what, i can make this better, if that were really the case, then we would still be living in the stone age. What it does do is slow down the creative process by forcing inventive people to waste, time, energy and money to develop a completely different product to do the same thing, or for them to enter into a licensing agreement that places an undue cost on the new product, when perhaps a simple modification would achieve the same goal. This more often then not leads to a higher price, preventing competition and creating the monopoly.

Only if it goes to court.
Many corporations settle out of court.
It is a much more complex issue then you're relating to here.

The mere filing of a lawsuit costs the tax payers in bureaucratic pay checks and wasted resources (paper, ink, toner, etc) to process the lawsuit to begin with.

Government is not the only problem when it comes to these issues.
Greedy corporations are just much a part of the problem.
As are unethical people stealing property owned by others who profit off of others work.

These greedy corporations would not exist without the governments weapons allowing them to flourish.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas



I came up during the beginning of the home computer era, being 38. I agree Gates and the Apple guys are corrupt and greedy. To swim with sharks, you have to become a shark.

I am glad someone stole the idea for windows. Otherwise we would all still be using DOS launch menu's like back in the old days. LOL

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


Well in all honesty, the idea of a windowing environment was not apples either. If my memory serves me right, it was a Xerox concept.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
At its very core the corporation is a government granted monopolistic construct. The government protects the interests of the corporation in the end at the end of a barrel. By removing government from the equation the power to reward or punish then becomes the right and responsibility of the consumer.

So, what you're saying is corporations have no right to protection, is that it?

Consumers have the right to purchase or not purchase.

Government should only step in to stop bootlegging and stealing of intellectual property.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
I think you are missing my point, yes, the inventor of a product has every right to the fruits of his labor, yet he does not have the right to prevent someone from taking his idea and making it better, because that is the fruit of the others labor. At that point it becomes his right to either improve his product or not. IP rights, patents and copyrights allow the original party to artificially inflate the price of the product and and prevent improvments in a technology.

Missing your point?

Hardly.

Challenging your anarchistic views is more like it.

If an inventor wants to not improve his or her product that should be their right.

When one persons right conflicts with other people's rights we have a problem.

No one wants the price of a product to artificially inflate but it happens.

Just as much as the dollar is over-valued or devalued.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
Its not stealing to see an idea and say, hey, you know what, i can make this better, if that were really the case, then we would still be living in the stone age. What it does do is slow down the creative process by forcing inventive people to waste, time, energy and money to develop a completely different product to do the same thing, or for them to enter into a licensing agreement that places an undue cost on the new product, when perhaps a simple modification would achieve the same goal. This more often then not leads to a higher price, preventing competition and creating the monopoly.

It is stealing if the person is changing someone else's product which was wholly theirs.

I'm not talking about taking a "George Foreman" grill and changing it.

Because hey, that sure looks like a waffle iron to me, sure reminds me of a waffle iron.

I'm talking about a product no one else has ever conceived of and protecting it.

There was a case of man here locally who made a carburetor adapter which got 80 miles to the gallon.

This would make any carburetor capable of getting 80 miles to the gallon.

Big Oil, car companies, and others tried buying it to suppress it, threatened him, and other stuff.

In the end he won and did not back down.

He ended up flopping with his adapter because no one would do business with him.

Negative publicity, people buying out advertisers, and essentially blackballing him.

That was wrong, there I agree with you to an extent, but there are other cases I'll disagree with you on.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
The mere filing of a lawsuit costs the tax payers in bureaucratic pay checks and wasted resources (paper, ink, toner, etc) to process the lawsuit to begin with.

Of course that is a waste and America has become a sad litigious country where everyone sues.

Originally posted by NuroSlam
These greedy corporations would not exist without the governments weapons allowing them to flourish.

And Government would not be needed if people knew how to lead themselves and protect themselves.

There is no such thing as Utopia and I'll never chase false dreams.

Society will never walk a path of perfection and thank God for that.

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas

Personally, I see American workers getting lazier, just as much as corporations get greedier.

Well when it comes to products made in the US for military or gov't use there are stringent requirements. I worked for a company that did contract work for the military and our specs were pretty narrow. Yet the components that were ordered from China and Russia were not optimal for the specs. In a sense corporate greed is what caused them to buy the cheaper yet inferior foreign made components. But when the components cannot pass the shipping inspection you just waste time and money. These days quality is sacrificed for cheapness. But what does the government expect with how high the cost of doing business is high in the states? Plus when you consider how these foreign companies run their businesses, cheap labor, lack of environmental concern it doesn't seem so "green" either.