Fight against counterfeiting: intentional purchasing decreasing in France and Europe
A new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) indicates a decrease of purchases of counterfeit products and access to illegal content.
The survey, conducted on a panel of 25,636 EU residents aged 15 and over, reports “a gradual but encouraging change in attitudes and behaviors”, particularly in that more people report a better understanding of intellectual property rights issues.
Indeed, while in 2017, only 10% of those surveyed thought that intellectual property was the most beneficial to creators of artistic content, this figure rose to 20% in 2020. Similarly, 98% of them think it is important for inventors, creators and artists to have legal protection and to receive compensation.
These figures reflect the need to raise awareness on the importance of intellectual property.
In France, 6% in 2017 admitted having intentionally purchased counterfeit products, and 15% admitted having accessed online content from illegal sources: these figures now stands at respectively 3% and 9%.
The study also notes an important correlation between these two behaviours, as 30% of those who bought counterfeit products also pirated online content.
In 2020, 42% of surveyed Europeans say they pay for accessing, downloading and distributing online content from a legal service, 17 points more than three years ago.
According to EUIPO, this more critical perception of counterfeiting could be linked to the “negative public reactions observed during the Covid-19 crisis against fake medicines and counterfeit personal protective equipment”.
By IP/IT team at UGGC Law Firm
