Combating counterfeits amid a pandemic

With demand for counterfeit products surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK Anti-Counterfeiting Group is calling for intensified defensive action by the government, law enforcement, internet platforms and brand owners. Phil Lewis of the ACG reports.

Across the world businesses and consumers have been under attack from a menacing form of international criminality, which for years has managed to slip under the radar compared to other forms of illicit trafficking. What is this? Quite simply it is IP crime, more commonly known as counterfeiting and piracy.

Why would criminals be interested in IP? Well, IP is now a vital fuel for economies across the world. 

This was clearly illustrated in a 2019 report by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office. It was calculated that IP rights-intensive industries generate 84 million jobs across the EU, which equates to 39% of all employment.