Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director Steve Francis announced Tuesday that James “Jim” Mancuso has been selected to serve as the director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). The IPR Center, working collaboratively with its public and private sector partners, stands at the forefront of the United States government’s response to combatting global intellectual property theft and enforcing intellectual property rights violations.
“As a decorated federal law enforcement agent and civil servant, Jim Mancuso has served and protected communities around the world for more than 27 years,” said Francis. “He is an exceptional senior executive service member who has spearheaded numerous transformational investigative efforts within HSI and values the public/private sector partnerships so crucial to the National IPR Center mission. For these and many other reasons, I have the utmost confidence that Jim will continue to promote and expand the impactful and important work of the National IPR Center.”
“My priorities for the IPR Center are simple. I am committed to working collaboratively with public and private-sector partners to combat illicit trade, protect public safety, and enforce intellectual property rights law,” Mancuso stated. “Protection is our trademark and partnership is the foundation of everything we do. I firmly believe that we should continually work to forge new alliances, learn from our partners, and recognize the useful ideas and methods that they bring to the table.”
The IPR Center was established to combat global intellectual property theft, and has a significant role in policing the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods on websites, social media, and the dark web. In this role, Mancuso will lead the Center’s investigative efforts to combat global intellectual property theft, protect national security, and ensure public health and safety along alongside Marcus Joachim, FBI Deputy Director, and Brandon Lord, CBP Deputy Director.
