Communication: Towards a renewed consensus on the enforcement of intellectual property rights: an EU action plan

The March 2014 European Council reaffirmed the importance of intellectual property as a key driver for growth and innovation and highlighted the need to fight against counterfeiting to enhance the EU’s industrial competitiveness globally. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are one of the principal means through which companies, creators and inventors generate returns on their investment in knowledge.

A recent study has estimated that IPR-intensive sectors account for around 39% of EU GDP (worth some €4.7 trillion annually) and, taking indirect jobs into account, up to 35% of all jobs. In practical terms, through the granting of temporary exclusive rights, IP is directly linked to the production and distribution of new and authentic goods and services, from which all citizens benefit. The key to achieving these goals is an optimal and economically efficient IP "infrastructure" which spans the legal recognition, registration, utilisation and balanced enforcement of all forms of IP rights.

The EU needs innovation and creativity to stay competitive relative to countries with lower labour, energy and raw materials costs, and must create the conditions that stimulate innovation so that European businesses can help us trade our way out of the crisis. This is why knowledge-based industries play a core role in the 'Global Europe' and ‘Europe 2020’ strategies.

This Communication focuses on the enforcement of IPRs. It seeks to build upon the consensus that IP enforcement policy ought to be focussed on the fight against commercial scale IP infringing activity which is the most harmful. It aims to propose new enforcement policy tools, such as a so-called “follow the money” approach seeking to deprive commercial scale infringers of the revenue flows that draw them into such activities.

The Communication is complemented by a Strategy for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in third countries and the development of deeper cooperation between customs authorities in the EU and in third countries with respect to trade of IP-infringing goods, as foreseen in the EU Customs Action Plan.

See also:
- Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee - Trade, growth and intellectual property: Strategy for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in third countries

ESO: Background information: Commission presents actions to better protect and enforce intellectual property rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-commission-presents-actions-to-better-protect-and-enforce-intellectual-property-rights/

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