Growing counterfeit and pirated products demand stricter IPR law enforcement, protection of intellectual property is important for promoting innovation and creativity says EU.

In our increasingly knowledge-based economies, the protection of intellectual property is important for promoting innovation and creativity, developing employment, and improving competitiveness, says EU. The European Commission works to harmonise laws relating to industrial property rights in EU countries to avoid barriers to trade and to create efficient EU-wide systems for the protection of such rights. It fights against piracy and counterfeiting and aims to help businesses, especially small businesses, access and use intellectual property rights more effectively.

Today, counterfeiters are capable of reproducing food and beverages brands, medicines, electronics and electrical supplies, auto parts and everyday household products. Meanwhile copyright pirates have created multi-million dollar networks capable of producing, transporting and selling their unauthorized music, videos and software.