Despite all efforts to raise awareness about the consequences and risks of product piracy, more and more Europeans are buying counterfeit branded goods. This emerges from a study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which was published on Monday at the official headquarters in Alicante, Spain. More than one in eight respondents admitted to having knowingly purchased counterfeit products such as clothing, shoes, smartwatches or perfumes in the past twelve months. That is 13 percent – eight percentage points more than in the last representative EUIPO survey on perceptions of intellectual property in 2020.
Among the 15 to 24 year olds, the proportion was even 26 percent. That is 16 percentage points more than around three years ago. The study makes it clear that more needs to be done for consumer protection, said EUIPO Executive Director Christian Archambeau. Price was given as the main reason for buying fakes.
Germany does relatively well
Compared to other EU countries, Germany performs relatively well. “Only” ten percent of all more than one thousand respondents who live in Germany stated that they had knowingly bought counterfeit goods in the past twelve months. But there is also a clear upward trend in Germany, because in the last study it was not even half as many at four percent.
Bulgaria with 24 percent as well as Spain (20), Ireland, Luxembourg (both 19) and Romania (18) are well above the EU average. Finland is at the “better” end of the ranking with eight percent.
Product piracy is a billion dollar business. But also a criminal. And the vast majority of EU citizens are aware of this. Around 80 percent agreed that counterfeit goods support criminal organizations and endanger businesses and jobs. Two-thirds said they knew counterfeiting posed a threat to consumer health and safety, as well as to the environment.
Europeans are “increasingly aware of the risks and consequences of buying counterfeit goods and accessing content from illegal sources,” according to the EUIPO. And yet: According to the study, almost every third EU citizen still considers the purchase of counterfeit goods to be acceptable. Among younger consumers between the ages of 15 and 24, the proportion of people with this attitude in the EU even increases from 31 to 50 percent. (dpa)