According to António Campinos, President of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM):
“We are completing a picture of the economic impact of counterfeiting in a dozen economic sectors across the EU. Today´s report shows us the extent to which the toys and games sector is impacted by the presence of counterfeits in the market. Through this reporting, we aim to help policymakers in their work, by providing data and evidence-based studies, and to help consumers make more informed choices.”
IPR Infringement of Toys and Games (1) (1)
The report Campinos is referring to is “The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in Toys and Games,” released in December, 2015 by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), shortly before the OHIM changed its name to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in March, 2016. For the EU as a whole, the estimated total counterfeiting of games and toys amounts to 12.3% of revenue or about 1.4 billion euros and an estimated 6,150 lost jobs across the EU.
Hardest hit is the city of Berlin, the largest toy manufacturer in the EU, which produces about 40% of total European production. Berlin loses nearly 11% of revenues a year and has lost an estimated 1,500 jobs because of counterfeits.