Attorney General Jim Hood has announced formation of Mississippi's first intellectual property theft task force, supported by the national business community, according to a release. "Operation Knock Out Knock-Offs" is funded by a federal grant, Hood said, and the task force held its initial meeting and training in October, with more than 40 state, federal and local agencies participating.

"Since the initial meeting, we have had a number of cases brought to us for joint enforcement by task force participants," Hood said in the release. "We have also had several leads from the public."

One most recent example is a task force raid Dec. 1 in Tupelo that led to the seizure of more than 700 women's purses, wallets, sunglasses and other "knock off" items being sold as authentic merchandise using labels such as Coach, Dolce Gabbana, Ed Hardy, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

To help in investigations in the future, two investigators with the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office have undergone extensive training by the Recording Industry of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. These investigators are now certified to identify CDs and DVDs as counterfeit.

"Counterfeiting and intellectual property theft is a big business with fat profits and often times little risk," said Brad Buckles, Executive Vice President, Anti-Piracy, Recording Industry Association of America, in the release. "These crimes require close collaboration between law enforcement, government and intellectual property owners to provide sustained pressure on those who steal in this manner. With the creation of this first-ever statewide task force, Mississippi law enforcement officials have reinforced their commitment to bringing these criminals to justice while preserving legitimate commerce and protecting its citizens from the dangers of the underground black market."

"The problem of counterfeiting has grown exponentially in recent years. Many of these products—from toothpaste tainted with anti-freeze, to clothing that uses toxic dyes and flammable materials, to extension cords that don't meet electrical safety standards—pose serious threats to the people of Mississippi," said Bob Barchiesi, president of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. "The steps Attorney General Hood is taking by developing this statewide task force will help ensure that consumers are kept safe from the variety of harms that are posed by these cheap, substandard, and illegal products."
For more information on the task force, visit the attorney general's Web site.