In this episode, we’re excited to welcome Steve Francis. Steve is the former Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and he is currently the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board at IP House. Drawing on his extensive experience connecting intellectual property and trade, Steve offers expert insights on the tariff turmoil, an end to the de minimis exemption for China and Hong Kong, and the potential impact on counterfeit goods entering the United States.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s 2024 IPR seizure statistics, fashion items — including handbags, jewelry, apparel and footwear — remain the top commodities seized. We discuss how fashion, cyber and counterfeiting crimes are intertwined — taking us back to the early days of fashion tech. Steve shares how a lot of these cri ...