EU: announcement of criminal law against counterfeiting

The Vice President of the European Commission, Franco Frattini, has announced the application of a proposal for a directive on the fight against intellectual property infringements.

The Commission accepted the decision by the European Court of Justice according to which criminal law provisions for the effective implementation of Community rights are part of EU rights.

Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, emphasized that the new criminal law proposed by the Commission is the criminal aspect of the fight against counterfeiting and piracy in Europe.
During the conference, Frattini also showed photos of a fake Ferrari, and explained that seven have been produced in China.
Frattini stated that criminal organizations invest enormous sums in these activities, which are often more lucrative than other traffic that is still not being fully repressed. 'It is only through a clear system of legal sanctions that we will be able to act together in this field'. Frattini also talked about the risks counterfeit products pose for consumers, the need to protect intellectual property rights and, lastly, the urgent need to end to the exploitation of children employed for this type of production.

(Source: Age)