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EUIPO and Eurojust join forces to tackle rising IP crimes

The EUIPO and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) are strengthening their cooperation to more effectively tackle criminal abuse of intellectual property rights in the field of counterfeiting and online piracy. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) was signed on 15 March 2021 to enhance Eurojust’s capacity and increase its expertise in supporting complex IP infringement investigations.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that counterfeiting and piracy has gained new momentum with the illegal production and distribution of fake protective equipment and face masks. Tackling IP crime is key therefore to protect consumers and preserve a healthy economy and support the recovery of legitimate businesses, notably creative and innovative ones. The SLA provides EUR 750,000 extra funding for Eurojust until the end of 2024, which will boost their security and strengthen their workforce.

In addition to the agreement, EUIPO has also published a report in March 2021 on international judicial cooperation in online IP infringement cases. The report highlights the variety of legal remedies available and presents a series of examples of successful judicial cooperation, including the key role of Eurojust in facilitating effective cooperation in the fight against IP crime.