• Successful World Anti-Counterfeiting Day held in Madrid - 30 June 2017
• SPTO-UIMP summer course: "Patents, Trademarks, Designs: Future challenges"
• Presentation of the new informative brochure: "HOW TO PROTECT HANDICRAFTS. Patents, Trademarks and Industrial Designs"
• WIPO Summer Course
• New registration system to apply for trademarks and trade names with the SPTO

Successful World Anti-Counterfeiting Day held in Madrid - 30 June 2017

Just like in previous years, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO), along with the Association for the Defence of Trademarks (ANDEMA), celebrated the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day with an event to raise consumer awareness.  This year, it was held at SPTO's headquarters in Madrid, focused on "the proliferation of counterfeit purchase and sale on the Internet."

The World Anti-Counterfeiting Day was attended by Spanish and European authorities (through the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights).

The inauguration highlighted the serious consequences of the crime of purchasing and selling counterfeit products for the health and safety of citizens, as well as for the wealth of our economy and social welfare. This is because 67,000 jobs are directly destroyed per year, leading companies that could potentially generate innovation and wealth for our business fabric to close.

From the official presentation of annual data on counterfeit merchandise seizure provided by the State Security Forces and the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (State Tax Administration Agency) (AEAT), the following is of note:

• During 2016, the Tax Agency seized over 2.5 million counterfeit products, with a total of 2,232 operations. If this merchandise had reached the market, it would have been worth 77.8 million euros.
• On the other hand, State Security Forces seized 1.66 million counterfeit objects and were aware of 1,447 crimes in 2016. On the black market, these products would have been worth more than700 million euros, of which 589,055,500€ would be for jewellery and watches, 38,397,966€ for the textile sector, and 21,176,664€ for leather work and accessories.

Over the course of the event, it was emphasised that a tireless, constant fight against counterfeit purchase and sale, which breaks down our economic and social welfare, is a priority for the SPTO. Moreover, the tools and actions implemented by the SPTO in its fight against counterfeit on social networks were introduced, with the profiles "Yo Soy Original (I'm Original)" and the website: http://yosoyoriginal.es/, which provide an accurate dimension of the problem posed by the counterfeit phenomenon. Additionally introduced was the new campaign called: “Apuesta por la protección – Marca la diferencia (Strive for Protection - Make a Difference)”:

https://www.oepm.es/es/CS_09_ApuestaProteccionMarcaDiferencia.html

During the round table, emphasis was placed on the value of Intellectual Property Rights and the negative impact of counterfeit goods on the business world, on the health and safety of citizens, and the fact that, since this is a global problem, it requires a global action that coordinates joint efforts and optimises results. The different participants shared their work methodology to detect these criminal practises, and gave recommendations on how to proceed when Internet content selling illegal products, or that is suspected of doing so, is detected.

Further information:

News of the event

Press release