Brussels, 12/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 11 March, the General Affairs Council reached a political agreement on a new regulation aimed at improving the protection of intellectual property rights. From 1 January 2014, it will introduce a simplified procedure allowing customs services to seize goods, under certain conditions, with a view to destroying them without having to undergo long and costly procedures. For pirated and counterfeit goods, the owner's agreement for destruction will be taken for granted, unless the owner is explicitly opposed to it. Where other goods are concerned, the owner must give explicit authorisation before destruction can be carried out. Specific procedure is foreseen for small packages, allowing for destruction of confiscated goods without the right-holder's intervention.
The new regulation applies only to commercial merchandise and not to wares of a non-commercial nature contained in passengers' personal luggage. It replaces certain provisions in force established by way of Regulation 1383/2003 (customs action against goods suspected of infringing upon intellectual property rights). The Council's decision will now be forwarded to the European Parliament which is expected to take its position within the next few months. (FG/transl.jl)