Justice Department Expands Team Fighting Theft Of Movies, Music, And SoftwareJustice Department Expands Team Fighting Theft Of Movies, Music, And Software

When it comes to stealing movies, music, software, and other intellectual property, the bad guys are still winning. But the U.S. Justice Department has thrown a lot more resources into the battle in the past two years.

In a report to Congress last week, Justice said it added computer hacking and intellectual property units in 12 cities. The department also is working with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on piracy prevention.

By January, the Justice Department will place federal prosecutors in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe to coordinate intellectual property law enforcement there. The department already has trained and provided technical help to thousands of foreign prosecutors, investigators, and judges.

"It's a sad fact that criminals always adapt and change," says Kyle Sampson, chairman of the department's Task Force On Intellectual Property. When it comes to IP theft, Justice wants to show that it, too, can adapt and change.