New Reporting For Counterfeit Goods

Story first appeared in Bloomberg News.
The State of Mississippi, through the Office of the Attorney General, has set up a website that is part of a campaign against counterfeit goods.
The website for the Mississippi Intellectual Property Crime Center -- mipcc.ago.state.ms.us/ -- was established with the assistance of a grant from the U.s. Department of Justice. Aim of the site is to inform the public about IP crimes and their effects on the world.
The site has a section on fakes, with photos of counterfeit goods. It also provides citizens with a place to which they can give anonymous tips about sale of possible counterfeit items.
According to the Mississippi Intellectual Property Crime Center, the sale of counterfeit goods can be linked to drug trafficking, organized crime, terrorist activity, gang violence, child labor and life-threatening health issues.
Thailand, Cambodia Both Claim Dance Gesture as Cultural Icon
Both Thailand and Cambodia are laying claim to a hand gesture used in traditional dance and shadow places as an intangible culture heritage item, the Bangkok Post reported.
The gesture, known as the “jeeb” and created by touching the thumb with the index finger and splaying the other three fingers, has been registered by Cambodia with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, according to the Bangkok Post.
Because it hasn’t ratified the Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage allowing it to submit cultural heritage items to UNESCO for listing as cultural treasures, Thailand has, so far, only begun compiling a list, according to the Bangkok Post.
Thailand’s Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem told the Bangkok Post that Cambodia hasn’t stolen the jeeb to claim it exclusively because it is normal for countries in the same region to share similar cultural traits.