Warsaw, 12/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - A meeting of experts took place in Warsaw on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 December, between the representatives of the member states of the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy. This provided the opportunity for all parties to discuss ways of organising a better fight to protect intellectual property. In order to do this, “the EU is continually working to reinforce administrative cooperation between the authorities at all levels in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy”, comments the Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy.
The European Commission stresses that “the economic welfare of the EU depends on maintaining its creativity and capacity for innovation, in such a way as to ensure that innovative ideas may give rise to new products and services to generate growth and quality jobs. Intellectual property rights are essential components of companies' assets, which help to guarantee inventors and creators a fair return on their work and investments.” Intellectual manna that is vital to breathe new life into the European economy.
However, according to a study carried out in 2010 by request of the International Chamber Of Commerce, “piracy in the music, cinema, television and software industries are believed to have cost the EU €10 billion and more than 185,000 jobs in 2008”. In a Eurobarometer survey carried out in 2009, it was revealed that “one in five European citizens is believed to have unwittingly purchased a counterfeit product at least once”. The figures published by the customs authorities of the EU show a net increase in activity: the number of cases registered has risen from 26,704 in 2005 to 43,572 in 2009, representing an increase of some 60% in just a few years. (VW/transl.fl)