Today, April 14, 2025, Mr. Sorin Mierlea, the President of InfoCons, is attending the Working Group meeting on IP in the Digital World within the Observatory – European Office for Intellectual Property – EUIPO.
The IP in the Digital World Working Group Meeting, organized by EUIPO, is being held in Alicante, Spain and will cover various topics related to Intellectual Property.
InfoCons is an active member of the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) Observatory. This involvement underscores InfoCons‘ commitment to addressing the challenges posed by intellectual property infringements across Europe.
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Meeting Agenda
Introduction and Overview of IP in the Digital World (IPDW) Activities
The session will begin with an overview presented by EUIPO, highlighting current actions and initiatives under the IP in the Digital World framework.
Update on the Digital Services Act (DSA)
The European Commission will provide insights into the implementation and practical application of the Digital Services Act. The update will be followed by an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to engage and clarify any points raised.
Emerging Online Marketing Practices
A discussion will follow on the rise of global e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein, which have adopted sophisticated—yet often legally ambiguous—marketing strategies. Terms like “dupes” and “pingti” reflect a new generation of lookalike products that, while not directly infringing IP rights, raise significant concerns. The session will explore how these practices operate and the legal mechanisms currently available to address them.
IP Enforcement at Trade Fairs
EUIPO will present examples of judicial protocols and procedures developed to handle intellectual property infringements at trade fairs. One such case is the Fast Track Protocol used during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, illustrating collaborative enforcement solutions in event settings.
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Streaming Fraud and Emerging Challenges
This segment will focus on the issue of streaming fraud—where artificial plays are generated to manipulate online streaming metrics and divert royalties from rightful creators. The increasing role of AI in content generation and engagement manipulation will also be addressed.
Two perspectives will be shared:
- Melissa Morgia, Director of Global Content Protection and Enforcement at IFPI, will present on behalf of music publishers.
- Burak Özgen, Deputy General Manager at GESAC, will offer the viewpoint of collecting societies.
A Q&A session will follow their presentations.
Best Practices Among Payment Providers
A representative from the European Association of Payment Service Providers for Merchants (EPSM), Csongor Suba, will share recent efforts in combatting IP-infringing activities within the payment ecosystem. His presentation, Empowering Trust: Payment Providers as Allies in Intellectual Property Protection, will be followed by a discussion with participants.
Expert Group on Cooperation with Intermediaries
EUIPO will conclude the session by presenting a draft document outlining good practices for intermediaries aimed at preventing the misuse of their services for IP infringement. The presentation will also introduce the Observatory’s new strategic approach to fostering cooperation with intermediaries in the fight against IP abuse.
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Some of the participants attending the IP in the Digital World Working Group Meeting are :
- Vincent Jadot – Belgium – Belgian Intellectual Property Office
- Julie Gronsfeld – Belgium – SPF Economie
- Flavia Stefura – Belgium – European Commission
- Kateřina Maláčová – Czechia – Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
- Kadri Kroodo – Estonia – Estonian Patent Office
- Laetitia Remon – France – ARCOM
- Fiona Burg – Germany – German Patent and Trade Mark Office
- Spyridon Peristeris – Greece – DIMEA / Hellenic Ministry of Development
- Peter Horvath – Hungary – HIPO / ProArt
- Kinga Zugh – Hungary – Hungarian Intellectual Property Office
- Luca Stranieri – Italy – Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy / Italian Patent and Trademark Office
- Agostino Brigante – Italy – Guardia di Finanza
- Austris Silins – Latvia – Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia
- Ilona Petersone – Latvia – Ministry of Culture
- Zivile Plyciuraityte-Plyciute – Lithuania – Ministry of Culture
- Angela van der Meer – Netherlands – Ministry of Economic Affairs
- Raquel Campos – Portugal – Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property
- Emil Žatkuliak – Slovakia – Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic
- María Rosario Revuelta Pollán – Spain – Ministerio de Cultura
- Mercedes Hernández Villar – Spain – Ministry of Culture
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Private Sector Participants:
- Elena Rivas Pérez – ACT – Association of Commercial Television
- Miruna Herovanu – AAPA – Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance
- Roland De Meersman – Abac-Baan – Belgian Association Anti-Counterfeiting
- Joeri Mombers – AIM – European Brands Associationv
- Marie Pattullo – AIM – European Brands Association
- Ann-Charlotte Söderlund Björk – AIPPI – The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
- Alejandro Sotomayor López – ANDEMA – Asociación para la Defensa de la Marca
- Beatriz Collazo Martín – ANDEMA – Asociación para la Defensa de la Marca
- Celia Moreno – ANDEMA – Asociación para la Defensa de la Marca
- Peter Gretenkord – APM e.V. – German Anti-Counterfeiting Association
- Guido Baumgartner – APM e.V. – German Anti-Counterfeiting Association
Observatory Working Group – IP in the Digital World:
- Tania Kern – APRAM – Association of Trade Mark and Design Law Practitioners
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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 .