Comunicato Ufficiale
Commission welcomes adoption of Directive against counterfeiting and piracy
The European Commission has welcomed the definitive adoption by the Council
of Ministers of the Directive on the enforcement of intellectual and industrial
property rights, such as copyright and related rights, trademarks, designs or
patents.
The Directive would require all Member States to apply effective, dissuasive
and proportionate remedies and penalties against those engaged in counterfeiting
and piracy and so create a level playing field for right holders in the EU.
It means that in about two years' time, once the deadline for implementation
has been reached, all Member States will have a similar set of measures, procedures
and remedies available for rightholders to defend their intellectual property
rights (be they copyright or related rights, trademarks, patents, designs, etc)
if they are infringed. The Commission proposed the Directive on 30 January 2003
(see IP/03/144 and MEMO/03/20) and it was approved by the European Parliament
in March 2004 (IP/04/316) in a form to which the Council has now agreed, without
the need for a second reading by either the Parliament or the Council.
Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said: "I am very pleased
that close cooperation between the European Parliament, the Council and the
Commission has enabled the swift adoption of this crucial Directive. The Directive
will give the Europe of 25 much stronger defences against counterfeiting
and piracy, which are a modern economic plague increasingly linked to organised
crime. When intellectual property rights are not respected, there is less investment
in innovative industries, research and cultural promotion. That means
everyone in Europe loses out. What is more, counterfeiters create fake medicines,
toys, cosmetics, food and drinks and vehicle spare parts which threaten public
health and safety."