On October 16, 2024, Sorin Mierlea, the President of InfoCons, participates in meetings on the second day of the Plenary Meeting of the Observatory – European Office for Intellectual Property – EUIPO , held in Alicante, Spain.
InfoCons is an active member of the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) Observatory, playing a role e in the Civil Society Working Group within the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights. This involvement underscores InfoCons‘ commitment to addressing the challenges posed by intellectual property infringements across Europe.
At the national level, InfoCons has been a member since 2006 in the Working Group on Intellectual Property Issues under the coordination of the Prosecutor’s Office near the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
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On the second day of the meeting, the agenda features the following segments:
WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
- Patricia García-Escudero Márquez, Director of the Observatory
- Leire Pajín, Member of the European Parliament
WORK PROGRAMME 2025
EUIPO will present the main elements of the draft Observatory Work Programme 2025. The floor will be opened for all participants to give their input and suggestions following the written request for feedback in July.
EMPACT NEXT CYCLE
Today will be launched the main EMPACT advocacy phase, to advocate the need of keeping IP crime on the EMPACT agenda. A discussion will take place with different actions planned with some stakeholders and how this could best showcase the results.
- Blanca Arteche, Head of Enforcement, Observatory Department,
- Marie Pattullo, Senior Manager Trade Marks and Brand Protection, AIM (European Brands Association)
- Peter Hedin, Senior Policy Advisor, Swedish Intellectual Property Office
- Tom Peperstraete, Director of the anti-counterfeiting unit, Directorate General Economic Inspection
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WHY IP IS IMPORTANT TO ME
Creators and entrepreneurs from the design and edition world will share testimonials on how IP has proved instrumental in developing their activities, creating value for them and their stakeholders. They will also address the impact of IPR infringement from their perspective.
- Marco Bozzola, Relio Italian
- Elisa Villebrun, writer, Bayard
- Raffaella Mangiarotti, designer and studio
REINFORCING THE EU COPYRIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: THE CASE FOR NEW EUIPO COPYRIGHT INITIATIVES
The draft EUIPO Strategic Plan 2030 and the draft Observatory Work Programme 2025 consider copyright as a priority. It is envisaged that the Office will establish a EUIPO Copyright Knowledge Centre. The aim would be to improve and consolidate EUIPO’s ongoing copyright initiatives and gradually work on additional information resources and services to support EU policy objectives in that field, such as in relation to live event piracy, the copyright infrastructure, the preservation of the cultural heritage or the development of generative AI. Following an introduction from the Observatory and a representative of the academic world, participants are invited to discuss how the EUIPO could better address those challenges in the digital age.
- Harrie Temmink, Head of IP in the Digital World, Observatory
- Professor Martin Senftleben, Director at Institute for Information Law (IViR), Amsterdam Law
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OPPORTUNITIES FROM INTEROPERABILITY AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Remaining abreast of technologies and how they affect enforcement is essential to ensure enforcers have the right technologies to stay ahead of infringers. An example of how this work is done at Europol can showcase how difficult this task is and what the challenges are.
- Krzysztof Klebek, Head of Team Capabilities Directorate, Information Management Unit (IMU)
DIGITAL SERVICES ACT: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
On 17 February 2024, the Digital Services Act (DSA) became fully applicable. The DSA offers a complete toolbox for tackling illegal content such as IP infringements. It gives the European Commission investigative and sanctioning powers to force online platforms to comply with the new obligations. In this session, DG CNECT’s head of unit in charge of DSA coordination and regulatory compliance will give an update on the main supervision and enforcement activities relevant for IP enforcement.
- Irene Roche Laguna, Head of Unit European Commission DG CNECT, Coordination and Regulatory
CLOSING REMARKS AND CLOSURE OF EVENT
- Patricia García-Escudero Márquez, Director of the Observatory
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InfoCons – European Organization for Consumer Protection and Promotion of Programs and Strategies , a full member of the World Organization Consumers International, founding member of the Federation of Consumer Associations, and member of ANEC .