The EU: Leading the Way in IP Protection and Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

World IP Day is an opportunity to recognize the crucial role of intellectual property (IP) in advancing technologies that are vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide. This year’s focus on the SDGs highlights the significant impact of IP in guiding us towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

In recent years, the European Union has made substantial progress in strengthening IP protection and enhancing its single market. The implementation of the unitary patent system has been a major milestone in EU IP policy, harmonizing patent protection across EU countries. Moreover, the introduction of the ‘patent package’ in April 2023 includes proposals to improve transparency and efficiency in the patent framework.

Furthermore, efforts have been made to provide geographical indication (GI) protection for craft and industrial products throughout the EU. GIs help protect product authenticity by preserving names associated with specific regions, such as Herend porcelain (HU) and Donegal tweed (IE). By updating EU designs protection rules, the EU aims to encourage design innovation, competitiveness, and fair competition in the spare parts aftermarket.

The EU has also taken steps to intensify IP enforcement by recommending measures to combat counterfeiting through its toolbox against counterfeiting. This toolbox provides companies with necessary tools to combat counterfeiting and protect their IP rights effectively.

On World IP Day, the EU reaffirms its commitment to supporting innovation and creativity as essential drivers of progress towards a sustainable and inclusive future for all.