PARIS,
France – Over 800 delegates from intergovernmental
organizations, national governments, enforcement agencies and
business from more than 100 countries convened today in Paris
to address the serious global impact of the growing trade in counterfeit
and pirated goods and the need to build respect for intellectual
property in a balanced and sustainable way. The Sixth Global Congress
on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, meeting on February 2-3,
2011, was organized under the High Patronage of the President
of the French Republic.
The Sixth Global Congress was hosted
by France’s Industrial Property Office (INPI) and chaired
by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is
co-organized by INPI, WIPO, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization
(WCO), in co-operation with the world’s business community
represented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through
its BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy)
initiative, and the International Trademark Association (INTA).
Opening the meeting, WIPO Director
General Francis Gurry said “The Sixth Global Congress represents
an outstanding opportunity for the public and private sector to
come together and to provide international leadership on the challenges
of combating counterfeiting and piracy. Under the theme of ‘Building
Respect for Intellectual Property’, this Congress addresses
the overlapping social, economic and political dimensions of counterfeiting
and piracy, and the need for targeted, integrated responses from
a variety of actors.” Mr. Gurry said “WIPO’s
work in the field of building respect for intellectual property
seeks to facilitate a constructive and balanced international
policy dialogue on common challenges and creative solutions. It
is therefore with great pleasure that we join with our partners
and co-hosts in this rich and stimulating program.”
INPI Director General Yves Lapierre
welcomed participants and said that France is proud to host this
important gathering. This reflects the commitment of the French
Government to bring together all sectors – from all countries
– in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, he noted.
Mr. LaPierre outlined the French Government’s actions to
combat counterfeiting and piracy, which he noted have devastating
effects both on the health and safety of consumers, as well as
the economy. He said that INPI was active both on the national
and international front to ensure respect for intellectual property,
which is now widely regarded as a tool for development, and promoted
public-private sector partnerships in the fight against counterfeiting.
In addition to the creation of a National Anti-Counterfeiting
body in 1995, which is premised on strong private-public partnership,
France also developed in 2004 an international network dedicated
to anti-counterfeiting - forty experts are posted in French embassies
and economic services in over 80 countries.
Highlighting the recent Operation Jupiter during which counterfeit
goods worth more than 200 million US dollars were seized and nearly
1,000 arrests made INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble
said that benefits of combining public-private sector expertise
were evident, and that the Global Congress represented the strong
partnership which had helped make a difference. “INTERPOL
has steadily increased its efforts and resource commitment to
combat counterfeiting and piracy producing tangible results worldwide,
not least in protecting the public from potentially lethal fakes
and counterfeits. The Sixth Global Congress is an occasion for
us all to identify how we can individually and collectively generate
even greater successes in combating counterfeiting.”
"To successfully tackle counterfeiting
and piracy requires committed international cooperation and coordinated
national action," said WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya.
"The public-private partnership which underpins the Global
Congress is the ideal platform for finding innovative solutions
to the threats that counterfeit and pirated goods pose to consumer
health and safety," he added.
ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy
Carrier pointed out that “Counterfeiting and piracy continue
to generate massive economic and employment dislocations at a
time when governments are most hard-pressed to maintain economic
stability and create jobs. Despite more visibility, more programs
and more cooperation among various stakeholders, the problem continues
to escalate.” Mr. Carrier said “New research to be
reported at the Congress will show that the total impact of this
illicit trade in fakes is staggering, with more than US$1-trillion
in annual losses to global economies, governments and consumers
and potentially more than 2 million jobs at risk,” adding
“It is essential that all stakeholders renew their commitment
to find new and creative solutions, and ICC, through its BASCAP
program is doing that, and we will introduce new initiatives at
this Congress providing new data, new support for the role of
IP in driving innovation and new programs to educate consumers
on why they should stop buying fakes.”
INTA President Gerhard Bauer said
“Counterfeiting and piracy cost governments and businesses
billions of Euros in revenue each year, and the social and health
risks they have on the public are alarming. In today’s interconnected
world, these risks are no longer isolated to one country, region,
demographic or economic class. This is why the Global Congress
on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy is so important.”
He added “It allows committed governments and organizations
from all over the world to strengthen their coordinated efforts
to combat counterfeiting, and to further educate the public on
the economic, social and health risks posed by these crimes.”
Under the theme ”Building
Respect for IP: Sustainable Solutions to a Global Problem,”
discussions at the Global Congress will focus on a balanced approach
to combating counterfeiting and piracy, underscoring the link
between building respect for intellectual property and sustainable
development. Overall, the Congress will seek to create a better
understanding of the elements underlying the trade in illegitimate
goods, and to discuss sustainable solutions to end it.
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Key
Presentations
- Francis
Gurry, Director General, WIPO
- Ronald
K.Noble, Secretary General, INTERPOL
- Kunio
Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization
(WCO) En
Français
- Jean-Guy
Carrier, Secretary General of the International
Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Gerhard
Bauer, 2011 President, INTA
- Yves
Lapierre, Director General, l’Institut national
de la propriété industrielle (INPI)
Press
releases and new initiatives
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