Street vendors peddle counterfeit goods on sidewalks and in alleyways around Latin America.  While the informal economy in developing countries provides jobs and access to inexpensive consumer goods, the intellectual piracy fueling these cheap goods poses a serious danger to public health and cultural heritage.

Intellectual Property theft results in losses more devastating and widespread than the loss of income for those whose work is stolen.  Pirated pharmaceuticals and medical devices lack safety standards, counterfeit mechanical parts can fail, and illegal downloads and pirated CD’s rob artists of an incentive to contribute to their country’s heritage.

This episode of Law in 10 features California Western Assistant Dean for Mission Development and Proyecto ACCESO Director Jamie Cooper discussing his work with the U.S. Justice Department to fight Intellectual Property theft in Latin America.