The US government has announced plans to crack down on piracy and Intellectual Property infringement.

The White House has announced its Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, which details plans to significantly increase the size of investigation units that are dedicated to pursuing and curbing piracy in The States.

"By the end of FY 2010, the FBI intends to employ over 50 Special Agents exclusively devoted to pursuing intellectual property investigations operating in field offices throughout the country and four enhanced intellectual property squads," says the initiative, with a 65-page PDF brief.

ESA president Michael Gallagher supports the movement, saying: "We deeply appreciate the efforts of Vice President Biden and Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Espinel and their leadership and vision in this critical area.

"We also applaud the numerous federal departments and agencies that are committed to protecting intellectual property rights, here and in foreign markets - both of which are critical to our industry's continuing growth and ability to deliver innovative entertainment experiences."

Nintendo and Sony in particular have struggled with rampant piracy on their DS and PSP handheld systems. Nintendo rightly blames it troubles on the sale of the popular R4 flash cart, while Sony's self-confessed issues come from easily hack-able PSP firmware.