EU Report: China Remains Origin of Most Fake Goods

Brussels, MINA – China remains the origin of most counterfeit and pirated goods arriving in the European Union. More than 80 percent of the seizures of counterfeit and pirated goods come from China or Hong Kong, KUNA reported, citing an European Commission formal statement released today.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom commented in a statement that “intellectual property theft – such as counterfeiting and piracy – stifles innovation and erodes confidence with our trading partners.

This is a particular problem in China which still accounts for the vast majority of seized counterfeit and pirated goods, although some progress has been made.”

India also remains a big concern for the European Commission, in particular due to the lack of suitable protection for pharmaceutical products and also because India is one of the biggest producers of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, it said.

The report also highlights that Indonesia, India, Russia and Argentina apply unduly restrictive criteria for granting patents, undermining innovation and research and preventing investment in these economies and that in Brazil the procedures for the granting of patents in the pharmaceutical sector are not in compliance with international standards. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)