NEW YORK - The International Trademark Association (INTA) welcomed in a press release the publication on May 24 of the Intellectual Property Rights Strategy by the European Commission. This is a comprehensive set of policies and actions that will guide the work of the Commission throughout this term in revamping the IP framework in the European Union and creating a modern, integrated IPR regime.

INTA praises this ambitious initiative which should lead to better protection and enforcement of intellectual property from trademarks to patents, copyrights, and geographical indications. The strategy will seek among other actions to modernize the European trade mark system by reviewing the Community Trade Mark and improving the harmonization of the CTM with the national trademark systems. The strategy also presented a draft Regulation on entrusting certain tasks of the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), and a draft Regulation on customs enforcements of IPR. In particular, the Association welcomes the Commission’s efforts in dealing with counterfeit goods sent in small consignments.

While INTA commends the recent initiatives to improve EU’s framework and strategy on IP protection and enforcement, it believes that a number of areas could have been further expanded. As an example, the issue of intercepting goods in transit could have been addressed more comprehensively and clearly in the draft text of the Customs Regulation proposal. In addition, the EU IPR Strategy should have included efforts and a strategy to harmonize criminal sanctions in the European Union—another important component to addressing counterfeiting.

INTA looks forward to other initiatives outlined in the strategy, such as the proposal to review the Directive on Enforcement of IPR expected next Spring, which should tackle trademark infringement—including the sale of counterfeit goods—online. At the same time, INTA encourages the EU to complete the ratification process of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) as an important international framework for stronger enforcement against trademark counterfeiting.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a membership association of more than 5,700 trademark owners and professionals, from more than 190 countries including the 27 EU Member States and all Candidate Countries. INTA is dedicated to the support and advancement of trademarks and related intellectual property as elements of fair and effective national and international commerce.