With annual losses of more than 600 million euro, Germany takes an unfortunate third place among the EU countries affected by illegitimate indications of origin. France leads the list with 1,570 million euro in financial damages, followed by Italy with 680 million euro. These figures were calculated by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), formerly known as the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), for a study on the effects of product and brand piracy in the EU.
In around 42% of the registered cases, the fake products were imitations of regionally protected products, 38% were products with deceptive labels and indications of origin, and approximately 21% were products from the original region that did not fulfill the high standards connected with the regional protection.
The regional indications of wines, liquors, and various agricultural products, for example, can be protected within the EU. Regional indications inform the consumer about a product’s origins or processing location, and designate the special characteristics connected with its place of origin.
Significant regional indications within the EU include Bavarian beer, champagne, cognac, grana padano, Scotch whiskey, and Parma ham. Counterfeit wine and liquor inflict the most significant financial damages on European producers, followed by cheese and meat products.
