1 in 3 Europeans believes it is acceptable to buy counterfeit goods

According to a new study on public opinions about intellectual property published by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Europeans are increasingly aware of the risks and consequences of buying counterfeit goods and accessing content via illegal sources.

80% of Europeans are convinced that counterfeit goods are the result of criminal organisation activity, and that purchasing such products is harmful to companies and the labour market. 83% of those interviewed stated that such purchasing behaviour is unethical, and two thirds believe it to be a threat to health and safety as well as the environment.

As regards piracy, 82% of Europeans agree that acquiring digital content from illegal sources involves some dangerous risks (such as scams or inappropriate content for underage children).

Despite these positive results, the study also reveals that 1 European in 3 (31%) does, however, consider it acceptable to buy counterfeit goods when the price of the original item is too high, and this figure rises to 1 person out of 2 (50%) in the case of younger consumers, aged between 15 and 24 years old.

Moving from beliefs to tangible behaviour, 13% of Europeans declared having intentionally purchased counterfeit goods in the last 12 months. This figure rises to 26% for people aged between 15 and 24 years old, twice the European Union average, while it drops to 6% in the 55-64 years old age group, and under 5 % for people aged 65 or over.

At a national level, the percentage of consumers who intentionally bought counterfeit goods ranges from 24% in Bulgaria to 8% in Finland. As well as Bulgaria, intentional purchasing of counterfeit goods is higher than the European average in Spain (20%), Ireland (19%), Luxembourg (19%) and Romania (18%).

Lower prices for original items remains the most cited incentive (43%) for ceasing to buy counterfeit items. Also, the risk of negative experiences (scarce quality items for 27% of people, health and safety risks for 25%, and legal sanctions for 21%) is a key factor in encouraging consumers to desist from purchasing counterfeit items.

Uncertainty among consumers

Uncertainty about authenticity is also on the rise. Almost 4 Europeans in 10 (39%) have wondered whether the goods they purchased were fake, and half of young people interviewed (52%) expressed this doubt.

There is also a significant difference between European Union member states: while in Denmark and the Netherlands around one quarter of consumers (26%) are unsure about the authenticity of goods they purchased, this figure rises to 72% in Romania.

Europeans express uncertainty also regarding the legality of sources they use for online content: 41% express doubts about the legality of sources they have used.