Are fakes prevalent in the European market? The EU provides trademark subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises

With the booming development of the European e-commerce market, a large number of counterfeit goods have taken advantage of the situation and entered the market. The European Union recently formulated an "innovation-driven business plan" to help small and medium-sized enterprises improve their market competitiveness.

According to Eurostat, more than 70% of Europeans shop online in 2020, but it is difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake products on the market, with nearly one in ten Europeans claiming they have bought fakes. A survey by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) also shows that counterfeit products are prevalent in almost all industries, and consumers are facing increasing safety risks.

Among them, the countries with the highest proportion of being misled are Bulgaria ( 19%), Romania (16%) and Hungary (15%). Ireland is far higher than the EU average, reaching 13%. In contrast, Sweden (2%) and Denmark (3%) are the lowest in the EU.

According to statistics, counterfeit products account for 6.8% of the EU's total imports of 121 billion euros.

Intellectual property crime is a long-standing problem in the EU. This problem has been magnified during the pandemic, such as counterfeit masks and personal protective equipment, which are seriously related to people's lives and health.

So it has recently received renewed attention and become one of the top ten priorities in the fight against organized crime.

The best way to combat counterfeit goods is to register intellectual property rights, and for sellers, it is trademark rights, which can greatly reduce counterfeits. Even if they are counterfeited, they can protect their rights through legal means.

Christian Archambeau, executive director of the EUIPO, also said in a statement: "Intellectual property is one of Europe's most valuable assets and a key factor in social and economic recovery, especially for small businesses." In the EU, less than 9% of small and medium-sized enterprises have registered intellectual property rights.

To this end, the European Intellectual Property Office and the European Commission, as well as the intellectual property offices of each member state, have jointly launched the "Creativity Driven Business Plan", which includes a 20 million euro fund for small and medium-sized enterprises to help improve their competitiveness in the market. For example, intellectual property evaluation services are provided, and a 50% subsidy can be applied for trademarks and designs.

Whether buyers or sellers, they should consciously resist counterfeit goods and create a healthy market environment.

Europe

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