Over 800 delegates from intergovernmental organisations, national governments, enforcement agencies and business from more than 100 countries have assembled in Paris to address the serious global impact of the growing trade in counterfeit and pirated goods and the need to build respect for intellectual property in a balanced and sustainable way. The Sixth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, meeting on February 2-3, 2011, is organised under the High Patronage of the President of the French Republic.
The Sixth Global Congress is hosted by France's Industrial Property Office (INPI) and chaired by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is co-organised by INPI, WIPO, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO), in co-operation with the world's business community represented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through its BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) initiative, and the International Trademark Association (INTA).
INPI Director General Yves Lapierre outlined the French Government's actions to combat counterfeiting and piracy, which he noted have devastating effects both on the health and safety of consumers, as well as the economy. He said that INPI was active both on the national and international front to ensure respect for intellectual property, which is now widely regarded as a tool for development, and promoted public-private sector partnerships in the fight against counterfeiting. In addition to the creation of a National Anti-Counterfeiting body in 1995, which is premised on strong private-public partnership, France also developed in 2004 an international network dedicated to anti-counterfeiting - forty experts are posted in French embassies and economic services in over 80 countries.
Under the theme 'Building Respect for IP: Sustainable Solutions to a Global Problem', discussions at the Global Congress focus on a balanced approach to combating counterfeiting and piracy, underscoring the link between building respect for intellectual property and sustainable development. Overall, the Congress will seek to create a better understanding of the elements underlying the trade in illegitimate goods, and to discuss sustainable solutions to end it.
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