Who Protects Intellectual Property in Romania ? Understanding the Role of the Key Authorities
In Romania, the protection of intellectual property is ensured through two main national authorities, which cover the two major branches of the field: copyright and related rights on the one hand, and industrial property on the other. These are ORDA and OSIM, institutions with which InfoCons cooperates in its consumer protection work.
ORDA – the Romanian Copyright Office
ORDA is the national authority responsible for applying and supervising legislation in the field of copyright and related rights. Its responsibilities include regulating and monitoring the activity of collective management organizations, keeping the relevant national registers, issuing markings and authorizations, and carrying out actions to combat piracy. ORDA plays a central role in protecting creators – writers, musicians, artists, producers – and in ensuring a fair framework for the remuneration of their work.
An important aspect of ORDA's work is the supervision of collective management organizations, which administer rights holders' rights on their behalf. ORDA periodically reviews the activity of these organizations to ensure transparency and fairness in the collection and distribution of royalties.
OSIM – the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks
OSIM is the national authority in the field of industrial property. It grants protection for patents, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications and other industrial property titles. OSIM keeps the corresponding national registers and represents Romania in its relations with international and European organizations in the field, such as WIPO and the EPO.
Through its work, OSIM helps innovators and the business community in Romania to protect their technical creations and distinctive signs, both on the domestic market and, through the international systems, abroad. The protection of trademarks in particular is directly connected to consumer protection: a registered trademark guarantees the origin and quality of a product, and combating counterfeit trademarks protects citizens from unsafe products.
Cooperation with law enforcement authorities
In addition to ORDA and OSIM, law enforcement authorities are also involved in combating counterfeiting and piracy, such as the Police, the Gendarmerie, the Customs Authority and the Prosecutor's Office. At the coordination level, there is the Working Group on Intellectual Property Matters, coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, of which InfoCons has been a member since 2006.
The role of InfoCons
InfoCons cooperates with these authorities and brings the consumer perspective into national debates. Through its app and its information campaigns, the organization helps citizens understand the role of these institutions, recognize authentic products and report possible infringements. In this way, the Romanian intellectual property protection system functions not only through state institutions, but also through the active involvement of civil society and consumers.
Intellectual property and the everyday consumer
Intellectual property is often perceived as a technical subject reserved for lawyers and large companies. In reality, it is present in the life of each of us, every single day. The trademark on a product tells us who made it and guarantees a certain standard of quality; patents make it possible for new medicines, technologies and innovative solutions to emerge; copyright rewards the work of those who create cultural and educational content. When these rights are infringed through counterfeiting or piracy, the first to suffer is often the consumer.
Counterfeit products mean not only economic losses for companies and public budgets, but also a real danger to people's health and safety. Counterfeit toys, cosmetics, car parts, medicines or electronics can endanger consumers' lives, precisely because they are made without respecting quality and safety standards. In an increasingly digital economy, where online commerce erases borders, these risks multiply, and the need for accurate, rapid information becomes essential.
That is precisely why InfoCons has developed a unique and innovative consumer protection app that allows people to check products before buying them, consult European safety alerts and report products suspected of counterfeiting or piracy. Through this digital tool, every consumer becomes an active partner in the shared effort to make the marketplace safer, more transparent and fairer.
InfoCons' participation in the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is part of this steady commitment: bringing the voice of Romanian and European consumers to the world's foremost intellectual property forum and turning global debates into concrete protection for citizens.
InfoCons, a voice for consumers in international forums
InfoCons is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, the only consumer protection organization in Romania accredited within this international forum. This official recognition places Romania on the global map of organizations that contribute to the international dialogue in the field of intellectual property. Through its participation in WIPO meetings and working groups, InfoCons promotes consumer interests and supports policies that encourage innovation and the fight against counterfeiting.
At European level, InfoCons is an active member of the EUIPO Observatory – the European Union Intellectual Property Office – with an important role within the Civil Society Working Group. At national level, the organization has been part, since 2006, of the Working Group on Intellectual Property Matters, coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. This involvement on three levels – national, European and international – gives InfoCons a complete perspective on the counterfeiting phenomenon.
The organization's commitment translates into concrete actions: European projects dedicated to young people, large-scale awareness campaigns and an innovative app that puts information within reach of every consumer. All of these share a common denominator: the conviction that respect for intellectual property rights and consumer protection are two sides of the same coin.
In this context, the presence of InfoCons at the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is a natural continuation of nearly two decades of work dedicated to defending consumer interests in the field of intellectual property.
From information to action: the role of the InfoCons app
InfoCons' objective is not only to provide access to information, but also to empower consumers through digital innovation. The InfoCons app – a unique, innovative application – gives them practical tools to identify risks and actively contribute to a safer and more transparent marketplace. Through a simple barcode or QR code scan, consumers can access relevant information about products, right in front of the shelf.
One of the key features is the alerts section, which makes it possible to verify whether a product is subject to official safety alerts issued at European level, for both food and non-food products. The app provides information on the product name, the country concerned, the level of risk, the country of origin, the date the alert was published and an image of the product. At the same time, through dedicated functionalities, citizens can report products or services that may infringe intellectual property rights through counterfeiting or piracy.
Available in 33 languages, the app helps to disseminate consumer protection and intellectual property awareness messages at European and international level. Its educational dimension promotes informed choices and a culture based on responsibility, transparency and originality.
The presence of InfoCons at the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is a concrete demonstration of how digital innovation can support respect for intellectual property rights and protect consumers in Romania and around the world.
Signature: InfoCons Consumer Protection and Intellectual Property Department