A new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Europol shows the alarming extent of the trade in counterfeit goods in the EU. According to the study, around 86 million counterfeit products worth over two billion euros were seized in 2022. The report shows that hardly any industry is safe from counterfeiting. According to the publication, numerous sectors are affected, including pharmaceuticals, food, fashion and luxury goods, toys, electronic devices, tobacco products, automotive spare parts, and digital content. Most counterfeits come from China and Turkey.

Criminal networks exploit legal loopholes by manufacturing low-quality products outside the EU and then applying counterfeit brand logos to them within the Union. An increasing problem is the influence of social media: Influencers and online platforms unwittingly promote the purchase of counterfeit products by advertising such items or sharing links to dubious providers. In Romania, for example, influencers advertised illegal pharmaceuticals, which led to the closure of a secret laboratory.

On the one hand, the EUIPO calls for raising consumer awareness of the consequences of possible purchases of counterfeits. On the other hand, companies should take measures at an early stage and protect their products from counterfeiting with reliable solutions.

Image: Ian Taylor (Unsplash)