2 Transnational Crime and Global Security
Chapter 5 provides a global overview of the diverse market of wild-
life crimes. Industrialization and globalization continue to influence this
transnational black market significantly. The illicit market in rare and
exotic wildlife has become very lucrative. Our author explains that wildlife
crime is not only a serious transnational crime with a profound negative
impact for endangered species, ecosystem stability, and local communi-
ties, but that it has also become an increasing threat to national and global
security.
Part I concludes with a presentation of the impact of intellectual prop-
erty violations on global economic security. Chapter 6 asserts that the
economic value of goods protected by copyrights, patents, and trade-
marks makes them attractive targets for criminal networks. Our authors
cite INTERPOL, suggesting that trademark counterfeiting and copyright
piracy are serious transnational crimes that defraud consumers, threaten
the health of patients, cost society billions of dollars in lost government
revenues, foreign investments or business profits, and violate the rights of
trademark, patent and copyright owners. Implications and strategies for
prevention are discussed.
