Fighting Crime / Tackling Counterfeiting & Piracy

Counterfeiting and piracy is frequently directly linked to organised criminal gangs, which use the profits to fund other unlawful activity. The EU has launched a large-scale crackdown on counterfeiting and piracy, with hefty penalties for those found to be involved.

Counterfeiting not only ruins legitimate industries (such as film and music), it can even affect our own health and safety. Officials in the EU have seized fake medicines, cosmetics, cigarettes, toys, vehicle spare parts, food and drinks.

In 2008, EU customs registered over 49,000 cases of infringing goods intercepted at the EU’s external border. The cost of counterfeiting and privacy to the UK economy could be as high as £30 billion and could be costing 14,800 jobs for Britons.

An EU directive which came into effect in 2006, gives rights-holders and their representatives much stronger defences against counterfeiting of their products. If evidence of trading in fake goods is found, national courts have the power to impose injunctions to cease trading, order the destruction of illegal consignments and to remove the materials and equipment used to make the products from circulation.

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