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23 June 2017Copyright

Encrypted messaging and technology continues to assist IP crimes, says report

The ability to do business anonymously and across borders online continues to facilitate counterfeiting, according to a report released yesterday by the European Intellectual Property Office and Europol.

The report, called “2017 Situation report on counterfeiting and piracy in the European Union”, builds on a previous 2015 report.

Communication between members of criminal groups increasingly relies on encrypted communication tools and anonymisation software, the report says.

“With increased accessibility of technologies, criminals tend to have very limited personal contact with each other, even when counterfeit goods are moved and transported,” the report says.

The report says that businesses run by criminals increasingly develop and maintain online trade relations with manufacturers in source countries.

It adds: “Transactions are now often exclusively finalised via the internet, without the necessity of travelling to the source country to negotiate and conclude the trade deal.”

The report stresses that IP crime affecting the EU is of great concern. It adds that counterfeiting causes harm to health and safety of EU citizens, as well as to the environment and legitimate economies.

It also explores  the expanding use of rail transport between China, which remains the biggest exporter of counterfeit goods, and the EU.

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