The European Commission (EC) recently published a policy blueprint for dealing with intellectual property (IP) rights. The coordinated EU approach promises among other things to focus on service providers in the fight against online copyright infringement.
Piracy and counterfeiting are seen to pose a threat to the EU's economy by undercutting the price of authentic products and making it harder for honest producers to stay in business. To counter the problem, the EC proposes to modernise the EU's IP right laws, which protect literary, musical and artistic works (copyright), discoveries and inventions (patents), and words, phrases, symbols and designs (trademarks).
People would reportedly benefit from easier access to protected works and the assurance that products and services they buy are genuine and safe.
IP rights are stated to be vital for Europe's 25 million small and mid-size businesses - protecting their investment in new products and services, helping them secure access to financing and increasing fair competition. Businesses and inventors would benefit from a simpler patent system, which is currently seen to be too complex and costly. A switch away from counterfeit and pirated goods to legitimate trading would also boost tax revenues for EU governments.
The proposed changes include creating a unitary patent-protection system so inventors would need to register only one patent covering most EU countries - reducing costs and red tape; protecting brands more effectively through a modernised trademark system that is simpler, faster, more effective, efficient and consistent; and easing access to copyright-protected works, particularly online and including Europe's cultural heritage.
The approach also sets out a more effective enforcement strategy within the EU, at its borders and in partnership with non-EU countries. The EC will make specific proposals before 2014.
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