The Observatory of the European Union has published two reports as part of a pan-European media campaign to fight counterfeiting and piracy. The reports provide a useful insight into the extent, scope and consequences of IP infringement in the EU.

They are published to mark this year’s World Anti-Counterfeiting Day on 10 June.

The reports are:

• 2020 Status Report on IPR Infringement: Why IP Rights are important, IPR infringement and the fight against counterfeiting and piracy (read the full report in English, the executive summary in 23 languages, as well as press releases and infographics here).
• IP Crime and its link to other serious crimes – with a focus on poly-criminality (read the Poly-Criminality Case Book and the executive summary in 23 languages here).

The MARQUES Anti-Counterfeiting and Parallel Trade Team works with the Observatory and encourages readers to read the reports in full.

MARQUES supports this Observatory initiative and in particular welcomes the emphasis on the links between counterfeiting and other crimes and on the social, ethical and health consequences of counterfeiting. Specific examples and case studies should be shared with consumers and the general public to help everyone understand those risks.

The links with other types of crime have been highlighted in previous campaigns including Don’t buy into Organized Crime (UN Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013) and useful information can also be found on Interpol’s website.

MARQUES congratulates the Observatory for its continuing work to foster networking among public enforcement and police authorities in Europe and beyond.

Thanks to members of the ACPT Team for their input into this post