Sales of counterfeit cosmetics, perfumes and personal care items throughout the EU deprive legitimate businesses, notably small businesses and retail outlets, of significant revenue each year and bear important employment consequences. According to an OHIM report published last March, this economic loss results in the direct loss of more than 50 000 jobs and is estimated at almost EUR 5 billion, representing almost 8% of the sector’s sales. For luxury goods, particularly watches and jewellery, the social and economic impact of counterfeiting is expected to be even higher given the size of the sector.Fighting Intellectual Property (IP) crime and ensuring effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are therefore key challenges in sustaining jobs and growth in the European economy, while safeguarding consumers against dangerous and substandard products and tackling the low risk/high revenue illegal activities of criminal organisations.In that perspective, OHIM, through the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, Europol and Eurojust, together with experienced investigators from customs and police, public prosecutors, private stakeholders - such as brand protection managers from industry – and policy makers, are debating best practice and new cooperation opportunities to tackle IP crime.
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