On March 19, 2024, the European Commission issued a recommendation for the combating of counterfeiting/imitations and strengthening the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This Recommendation follows the IP Action Plan, approved by the European Commission in November 2020, aimed at enhancing competitiveness within the European Union. It includes 5 key areas:
- Promotion of collaboration, coordination, and information sharing among stakeholders, for example, by establishing a single point of contact for IPR enforcement issues, as well as expanding the use of existing tools such as the IP Enforcement Portal provided by the EUIPO.
- Strengthening IPR enforcement procedures, for example, by promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for all intellectual property disputes.
- Adapting intellectual property practices to Artificial Intelligence, for instance, by promoting the use of blockchain technology to track counterfeit/imitated products.
- Providing tools to SMEs to better protect their intangible assets, such as the new IP Enforcement Voucher (IP Scan) within the SME Fund, implemented by EUIPO.
- Raising awareness, training, and education on intellectual property issues, for example, by integrating IP topics into national training and educational programs.
For more information, you can refer to the Recommendation for Combating Counterfeiting/Imitation and Strengthening IPR Enforcement and the (Q-A) published on the European Commission’s website.
