We’re about people coming together
Our History
The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition Inc., (IACC) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization devoted solely to combating product counterfeiting and piracy. Formed in 1979, we are the longest-standing organization of our kind.
What began with a handful of companies seeking intellectual property protection has grown to a membership base of over 250 in the past three decades. The IACC is a member-driven organization that is comprised of a cross-section of business and industry – from automotive, apparel, luxury goods and pharmaceuticals, to food, software and entertainment.
The IACC’s membership also includes law firms, investigative and product security firms, government agencies and intellectual property associations who are committed to fighting counterfeiting and piracy.
Our Mission
The touchstone of the IACC’s mission is to combat counterfeiting and piracy by promoting laws, regulations, directives, and relationships designed to render the theft of intellectual property undesirable and unprofitable.
Critical to the IACC’s purpose is its belief that acts of counterfeiting create severe public health and safety hazards, as well as economic harm. The IACC initiates programs with and supports actions by the government and private sector that ultimately result in increased enforcement, lead to the prosecution of intellectual property infringers, and create a strong deterrent to counterfeiters and pirates.
In an effort to ensure its members’ intellectual property rights are safe from illegal copying, infringement and other forms of theft, the IACC engages in substantive dialogue with governments, rights-holders, and partners from a variety of industries and sectors around the world. The IACC develops and conducts training for domestic and foreign law enforcement officials, submits comments on intellectual property enforcement laws and regulations in the United States and abroad, and participates in regional and international programs aimed at improving intellectual property enforcement standards.
Learn more about how we address counterfeiting on the Internet through RogueBlock and IACC MarketSafe, how we work with law enforcement in the U.S., Latin America and internationally, our initiatives to educate the public, and how we advocate for stronger policies and measures against counterfeiting.
FAQs
- How is the IACC different from other associations, e.g., INTA, IPO, AIPLA?
The IACC is unique in its focus on both policy and legislative as well as practical IP enforcement issues. IACC’s membership and enforcement emphasis has grown to include all types of IPR owned by its members, whether copyrights, trademarks or patents.
The IACC supports a variety of policy initiatives in the United States and abroad, providing a voice for intellectual property owners in the development of legislation, regulations, and international agreements. It also provides members with training and education opportunities with enforcement officials around the world. The common objective of each of these efforts is to promote effective and deterrent enforcement against intellectual property theft.
In recent years, the IACC has also become well-known for its collaborative efforts with third parties in combating counterfeiting and piracy. The IACC believes that everyone has a stake in the fight against IP theft, and as such, encourages voluntary agreements and meaningful partnerships between rights-holders and third-parties. Our various Memoranda of Understanding, RogueBlock® program, IACC’s payment processor initiative, and IACC MarketSafe® initiative are examples of IACC’s collaborative efforts.
- I am seeking in-house counterpart contacts. What does this association have to offer me?
The IACC was founded with the recognition that counterfeiting and piracy are problems too large for any single company to solve on its own. Collaboration with other companies committed to fighting counterfeiting and piracy is an essential tool in the fight against IP theft; accordingly, one of the IACC’s primary functions is to connect its members and to facilitate that sort of cooperation.
The IACC hosts a Spring Conference each year, offering members an opportunity to meet with and learn from one another. In addition, members have an opportunity to interact with other colleagues by participating in strategic IACC task forces and working groups.
- What is the IACC's geographic focus?
The IACC is active both in the United States and internationally.
In the U.S., the IACC actively participates in the development of state and federal laws and policies and in meetings and trainings for foreign delegations of judges, policymakers and law enforcement. Furthermore, the IACC partners with the IACC Foundation to sustain an active training program for federal, state and local law enforcement.
Internationally, we cooperate with other associations and governmental bodies to advocate for legal and policy reform to enhance IP measures and to create opportunities for training and exchange of best practices between officials and rights-holders. Since 1999, the IACC has conducted trainings and participated in programs on six continents. Learn more about our U.S. Training, Latin America Training and International Trainings.
