Counterfeited goods are still a big business also in clothing
Customs authorities across the EU seized an estimated five million more counterfeit items in 2015 than the previous year, according to new figures released by the European Commission. TextileFuture is providing an insight in the EU Report on Customs Enforcements of IPR Intellectual Property Rights 2015
The above cited results mean that the number of intercepted goods grew by 15 % compared to 2014. More than 40 million products suspected of violating an intellectual property right were detained at the EU’s external borders, with a value of nearly EUR 650 million.
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Counterfeited goods provide large anti-actions by customs authorities. The below statistics will provide ample information on the origin and value of goods, the means of transportation used and details on the goods seized by customs.
Countries of provenance.
China continues to be the main country of provenance from where goods suspected of infringing an IPR were sent to the EU. Looking at the specific product categories, several other countries appear as the main country of provenance, notably Benin for foodstuff, Mexico for alcoholic beverages, Morocco for other beverages, Malaysia for other body care items, Turkey for clothing, Hong Kong, China for mobile phones and accessories, memory cards, computer equipment, CD/DVD and lighters, Montenegro for cigarettes and India for medicines.
Product categories
The top categories of detained articles were cigarettes which accounted for 27 % of the overall amount of detained articles followed by other goods (10 %), toys (9 %), labels, tags and stickers (8 %) and foodstuff (7 %). Compared with 2014, only the category labels, tags and stickers is new in the top five.
Small consignments
Postal and courier traffic still accounted for 77% of all detentions even if detentions in postal traffic went down with more than 20%. In terms of number of articles detained in postal traffic, other electronic equipment (32%) came first with medicines in second place (16 %). In 22 % of all cases, goods were destroyed under the small consignment procedure. This decrease is directly related to fewer detentions in postal traffic, which as such is related to the fact that applicants do not want or have renounced to apply the small consignments procedure.
Health and safety concerns
Products for daily use and products that would be potentially dangerous to the health and safety of consumers (i.e. suspected trademark infringements concerning food and beverages, body care articles, medicines, electrical household goods and toys) accounted for a total of 25,8 % (compared to 28,6 % in 2014) of the total amount of detained articles.
Destruction of goods
In 91 % of the detention procedures by customs, the goods were either destroyed after the owner of the goods and the right-holder agreed on destruction, or the right-holder initiated a court case to establish the IPR infringement.
In the number of articles, 75 % of the articles were destroyed or were subject to proceedings. However, 25 % of the articles were released because the right-holder did not react to the notification by customs (11 %) or they were eventually found to be original goods (14 %).
The annual publication of the result of customs actions at the EU external borders provides an opportunity to measure the scale of customs actions to enforce IPR. The enforcement of IPR by customs is a priority for the Commission and the Member States.
Innovation and creativity are the engines of our economy. It is important to provide right-owners with the certainty that the fruit of their inventions will be protected. The competitiveness of European businesses depends on it.
For many years customs administrations in the Union have been known for their high standard of enforcement of IPR. In 2015, customs authorities made over 81000 detentions, consisting of a total of 43.7 million articles. The domestic retail value of the detained articles represented over 640 million euros.
This report contains statistical information about the detentions made under customs procedures and includes data on the description, quantities and value of the goods, their provenance, the means of transport and the type of intellectual property right that may have been infringed.
Each detention is referred to as a ‘case’ that may contain one or more articles. Each case may contain articles of different product categories and from different right-holders. In COPIS1 Member States register each case with information per category of goods and per right-holder. For each category of goods and each right-holder a detention procedure will be initiated, which explains why there are more procedures than cases. Certain statistics, e.g. on results, product category or involved IP right are given per procedure instead of per case as the figure can differ per procedure. Other statistics remain per infringement case, e.g. customs procedures or transport mode as the figure is only relevant per case.
The statistics are established by the Commission, based on the data transmitted by the Member States’ administrations, in accordance with the relevant EU customs legislation. From January 1, 2014, Regulation (EU) No 608/20132 lays down the provisions concerning customs enforcement of intellectual property rights including provisions for submitting relevant information by Member States to the Commission.
The annual statistics provide useful information to support the analysis of IPR infringements in the EU and the development of appropriate counter-measures by customs. Such figures allow for a better understanding of the scope and extent of the problem.
TextileFuture will provide you now with facts and figures, these tables need no additional information.
Counterfeited goods are still a big business also in clothing
Customs authorities across the EU seized an estimated five million more counterfeit items in 2015 than the previous year, according to new figures released by the European Commission. TextileFuture is providing an insight in the EU Report on Customs Enforcements of IPR Intellectual Property Rights 2015
The above cited results mean that the number of intercepted goods grew by 15 % compared to 2014. More than 40 million products suspected of violating an intellectual property right were detained at the EU’s external borders, with a value of nearly EUR 650 million.
Counterfeited goods provide large anti-actions by customs authorities. The below statistics will provide ample information on the origin and value of goods, the means of transportation used and details on the goods seized by customs.
Countries of provenance.
China continues to be the main country of provenance from where goods suspected of infringing an IPR were sent to the EU. Looking at the specific product categories, several other countries appear as the main country of provenance, notably Benin for foodstuff, Mexico for alcoholic beverages, Morocco for other beverages, Malaysia for other body care items, Turkey for clothing, Hong Kong, China for mobile phones and accessories, memory cards, computer equipment, CD/DVD and lighters, Montenegro for cigarettes and India for medicines.
Product categories
The top categories of detained articles were cigarettes which accounted for 27 % of the overall amount of detained articles followed by other goods (10 %), toys (9 %), labels, tags and stickers (8 %) and foodstuff (7 %). Compared with 2014, only the category labels, tags and stickers is new in the top five.
Small consignments
Postal and courier traffic still accounted for 77% of all detentions even if detentions in postal traffic went down with more than 20%. In terms of number of articles detained in postal traffic, other electronic equipment (32%) came first with medicines in second place (16 %). In 22 % of all cases, goods were destroyed under the small consignment procedure. This decrease is directly related to fewer detentions in postal traffic, which as such is related to the fact that applicants do not want or have renounced to apply the small consignments procedure.
Health and safety concerns
Products for daily use and products that would be potentially dangerous to the health and safety of consumers (i.e. suspected trademark infringements concerning food and beverages, body care articles, medicines, electrical household goods and toys) accounted for a total of 25,8 % (compared to 28,6 % in 2014) of the total amount of detained articles.
Destruction of goods
In 91 % of the detention procedures by customs, the goods were either destroyed after the owner of the goods and the right-holder agreed on destruction, or the right-holder initiated a court case to establish the IPR infringement.
In the number of articles, 75 % of the articles were destroyed or were subject to proceedings. However, 25 % of the articles were released because the right-holder did not react to the notification by customs (11 %) or they were eventually found to be original goods (14 %).
The annual publication of the result of customs actions at the EU external borders provides an opportunity to measure the scale of customs actions to enforce IPR. The enforcement of IPR by customs is a priority for the Commission and the Member States.
Innovation and creativity are the engines of our economy. It is important to provide right-owners with the certainty that the fruit of their inventions will be protected. The competitiveness of European businesses depends on it.
For many years customs administrations in the Union have been known for their high standard of enforcement of IPR. In 2015, customs authorities made over 81000 detentions, consisting of a total of 43.7 million articles. The domestic retail value of the detained articles represented over 640 million euros.
This report contains statistical information about the detentions made under customs procedures and includes data on the description, quantities and value of the goods, their provenance, the means of transport and the type of intellectual property right that may have been infringed.
Each detention is referred to as a ‘case’ that may contain one or more articles. Each case may contain articles of different product categories and from different right-holders. In COPIS1 Member States register each case with information per category of goods and per right-holder. For each category of goods and each right-holder a detention procedure will be initiated, which explains why there are more procedures than cases. Certain statistics, e.g. on results, product category or involved IP right are given per procedure instead of per case as the figure can differ per procedure. Other statistics remain per infringement case, e.g. customs procedures or transport mode as the figure is only relevant per case.
The statistics are established by the Commission, based on the data transmitted by the Member States’ administrations, in accordance with the relevant EU customs legislation. From January 1, 2014, Regulation (EU) No 608/20132 lays down the provisions concerning customs enforcement of intellectual property rights including provisions for submitting relevant information by Member States to the Commission.
The annual statistics provide useful information to support the analysis of IPR infringements in the EU and the development of appropriate counter-measures by customs. Such figures allow for a better understanding of the scope and extent of the problem.
TextileFuture will provide you now with facts and figures, these tables need no additional information.
ANNEX 6 – TOP 3 COUNTRIES OF PROVENANCE BY NUMBER OF ARTICLES