Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to intellectual property posed by sales on overseas e-commerce platforms.

The Government takes the issue of IP crime and infringement seriously and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) plays a crucial role in the fight against online piracy and counterfeiting. It works closely with international partners, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, to assess the risks posed by sales on overseas e-commerce platforms and estimating the cost of counterfeiting to the UK economy. Their most recent report estimated that counterfeit goods imported to the UK were worth approximately £13.6 billion per year.