More hard work by the European Observatory on Infringements of intellectual property rights is bearing fruit.  The latest manifestation of its commitment to fulfilling its mandate is today's launch of the fifth and sixth sectorial reports on the economic cost of IPR infringement, covering (i) handbags and luggage and (ii) jewellery and watches.

Above right: from horology to horror stories -- IP infringement can hit and hurt us all

To summarise:

In line with its mandate, the Observatory is continuing to evaluate the negative impact of counterfeiting and its consequences for legitimate businesses, governments and consumers, and ultimately society as a whole. Results of these fifth and sixth studies, to be followed by some other sectorial studies, pave the way towards quantification of the scope, scale and impact of IPR infringements in the European Union.

These two important and current studies can b accessed by clicking the Observatory website here.