6Th global congress. On combating counterfeiting and piracy

• Pages: 2-3

2

FE BR UA RY 2 01 1

6TH GLOBAL CONGRESS

ON COMBATING

COUNTERFEITING

& PIRACY

The World Intellec tual Property Organiza tion

(WIPO) i s dedicated to developing a ba lanced and

accessible IP s ystem that rewards creativit y, stimu-

lates innova tion and contri butes to economic de-

velopment whi le safeguarding the pu blic interest.

WIPO’s work in t he field of IP enforcem ent is guid-

ed first by the need for an in- depth understanding

of the elements that fuel the trade in ille gitimate

goods. The Organiza tion takes a broad, cros scut-

ting approac h that is more inclusive than the nar-

rower concept of enforcement. It tak es i nto ac-

count the interest of broader soci etal interests,

development-o riented con cerns and cons umer

protection and aims at enabling sustainable

progress, by working toward s an environment

that is conducive to fosterin g respect for IP rights.

The focus is on international public and priva te

sector cooperation; on supporti ng a co nstructive

and balanced internati onal policy dialogue; and

on legal and technical assistance to WIPO mem-

ber states, upon re quest, to strength en their ca-

pacities for the effective enfo rcement of IP rig hts.

Within this strategic direction, WIPO has since 2004

partnered with the World Customs Organization

(WCO) and INTERPOL, the International Chamber

of Commerce (ICC/BASCAP) a nd the I nternational

Trademark Association (INTA) in the organization of

the Global Congress on Combating Counter-feit-

ing and Piracy. The Global Congress has bec ome a

le ad in g gl ob al for um for bu ild in g

cooperati on to enhance public aw areness – and

concerte d action – to suc cessfully confro nt coun-

terfeiti ng an d pir acy. It brings together govern-

ment mi nisters and policy-makers, business l ead-

ers, senior law enforcement officials, judges and

lawyers, stakeholders from intergove rnmental or-

ganizatio ns (IGOs) an d non-govern mental organ-

izations (NGOs), consumer groups and member s

of acade mia.

This year, as sitting Chair of the Global Congress

Steering Group, WIPO has tak en t he l ead in o r-

ganizing the 6th Global Congress in Paris, Fra nce

on February 2 and 3, 2010. This y ear’s p rogram,

which underscores the link between building re-

spect for I P and sustainable developm ent, is de-

The global phenom ena of counte rfeiting and

piracy re main a great conc ern to policyma kers

worldwide. While an exact qua ntification of the

scope and economic effects at the aggregate lev-

el remains challenging, it is recognized that the

trade i n fake goo ds today affe cts virtual ly all eco-

nomic sec tors that are dr iven by creativit y and in-

novation, and is preva-

lent in all economie s.

While luxury good s pro-

ducers have been the traditional targets of coun-

terfeiter s, today, industries a s diverse as enter tain-

ment, cosmetics, foodst uffs, el ectronics, auto

parts, and most ala rmingly, medicines, are con-

cerned. Cou nterfeiting and piracy represent d i-

rect los ses to the in dividuals and companies who

innovate and develop o riginal produc ts, but their

impact r everberates thr oughout the gl obal econ-

omy. Widespread availability and consumpt ion of

counter feit and pirated goods undermi ne trust in

a rules-b ased system, and, depending on t he par-

ticular circumstanc es, may translate into los t op-

portuni ties for innova tion, lost ea rnings, lost j obs,

lost t ax revenues and a we akening of state-fund-

ed ser vices.

Formulating a policy framework to effectively ad-

dress counterfeiting and pirac y poses substantial

challenges. Depending on the prior ity issues at

stake, this may involve legislative, publi c health,

law enforcement, intellectual property (IP), techno-

logical and development-oriented considerations.

In addi tion, educating consumers remains crucial,

as is the need for working towards effective en-

forcement infrastructures and techni ques. We con-

tinue to witness significant effor ts by a number of

countries to further develop existing frame works,

both at national and at international levels. This in-

cludes negoti ations on multila teral agreements,

for instance in the context of the draf t MEDICRIME

Convention, negotiated under the ausp ices of the

Council of Europe, or the draft Anti-Coun terfeiting

Trade Agreement (ACTA). Other initiatives focus on

the distribution of counte rfeit produc ts and pro-

tected content over the Internet, and explore, for

instance, voluntary cooperation models between

the various stak eholders.