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Strengthening European prosecution of IPR infringement

Yesterday, Eurojust and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further expand the existing fruitful collaboration to support European prosecutors working with cases concerning violations of intellectual property rights (IPRs).

The MOU, signed at Eurojust headquarters in The Hague (Netherlands), will enable the further development of specific cooperation projects, such as joint seminars, training and intelligence, to support European prosecutors. In addition, the MoU reinforces the capacities of the European Intellectual Property Prosecutors Network (EIPPN) and formalises its role.

The signature of this MoU coincides with the release of an EUIPO report on online business models infringing IPRs. The study shows that new business models have been developed to further exploit IPR infringement. Indeed, IPRs are systematically being misused as a way to disseminate malware, carry out illegal phishing and simple fraud to the detriment of society, businesses and the ordinary user of the Internet.

Eurojust’s activities and casework in IPR, which is an EU crime priority, focused on identifying existing legal and judicial barriers within the Member States in the field of IPR. Building upon the excellent foundation for cooperation established by Mr László Venczl, National Member for Hungary and Eurojust contact point for intellectual property, Eurojust will further expand its cooperation with and support to EU prosecutors in dealing with cases involving IPR.

The President of Eurojust, Ms Michèle Coninsx, said: ‘Eurojust is committed, together with EUIPO, to supporting a multi-disciplinary approach to fighting IPR, which is a growing threat to the EU and world economies’.

The Executive Director of the EUIPO, António Campinos, said: ‘The EUIPO is committed to continue investing its efforts to expand knowledge and good practices among prosecutors dealing with IPR infringement, and welcomes the development of the EIPPN created in 2015’.

Background

About Eurojust
Eurojust is the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit. Based in The Hague, it is a body of the European Union established in 2002 with the goal of stimulating and improving the coordination of investigations and prosecutions and cooperation between the Member States’ competent national authorities in relation to serious cross-border organised crime.

About the EUIPO 
The EUIPO is a decentralised agency of the EU, based in Alicante, Spain. It manages the registration of the European Union trade mark (EUTM) and the registered Community design (RCD), both of which provide intellectual property protection in all 28 EU Member States, as well as carrying out cooperation activities with the national and regional IP offices of the EU. Up until 23 March 2016, the EUIPO was known as the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).

Related links
Joint press release, 16 March 2016 
Joint press release, 6 November 2014

 

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