In 2021, more than 3 million counterfeit articles were seized in the United Kingdom, with an estimated retail value around £142 million. By 2023, the volume of counterfeits came down to just over 1 million seized articles but, despite this decrease, the value of these seized goods rose to just over £200 million. No doubt, the scale and human cost of intellectual property (IP) crime is significant. In research published in 2020, the UK government estimated that counterfeiting and piracy cost the national economy £9 billion each year and contribute to more than 80,500 job losses annually. But the impact of IP crime extends well beyond economic loss: The workers producing these illicit goods may be exposed to poor, unsafe, and unregulated conditions, including in some cases child labor. Consumers may unknowingly purchase low-quality and often dangerous counterfeit goods. And communities may suffer when proceeds from illicit goods help fund organized crime and other illegal activities. At the same time, the bad actors behind these IP crimes are becoming more sophisticated, using the same tools and tactics as legitimate businesses to sell their goods, expand their market, and reach more consumers in more parts of the world. In this episode of Brand & New, we focus on IP enforcement in the UK and, in particular, how intelligence‑led and harm‑focused approaches are reshaping the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. As online marketplaces expand, supply chains become more complex, and technology evolves, enforcement authorities are having to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively than ever. The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has set out a clear vision through its Counter‑Infringement Strategy, centered on building the right structures, partnerships and evidence base to tackle IP crime at home and internationally. A key part of that vision is the creation of an IP Crime Centre of Excellence, strengthened intelligence capability, and deep collaboration with law enforcement, border authorities, and industry. Our host, Alastair Gray, Director of Anticounterfeiting at the International Trademark Association (INTA), is joined by two people at the heart of that work: the UKIPO’s Andrew Cooke-Welling, Director of Enforcement and Intelligence, and Ritwik Deo, Deputy Director for Intelligence and Law Enforcement Partnerships. Together, they unpack how intelligence is gathered and used, what partnership really means in practice, and what rights holders should understand about the UK enforcement landscape today. Related Resources About Ritwik Deo About Andrew Cooke-Welling About the UKIPO The UKIPO Intellectual Property (IP) Counter-Infringement Strategy The UK Customs Intellectual Property Enforcement Report 2021-2023 (UKIPO, November 2025) IPO counterfeit goods research (UKIPO, September 2020) Recent and Related Brand & New Episodes Inside the Dupe Revolution Tackling Counterfeiting: The Solution of Countercheck, Winner of 2023 INTA Open Innovation Challenge (Scale-Up Category) Recent INTA Research for Intellectual Property Professionals Mapping Illicit Trade: Routes and Insights Anticounterfeiting Benchmarking Report