IP observatory body encouraged to increase enforcement capability

The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) has reported that some respondents to a consultation it held earlier this year had expressed the view that the Observatory should "enhance enforcement capabilities" in order to fight against infringers of intellectual property (IP). OHIM was handed responsibility for managing the Observatory in June as part of the process of handing OHIM greater responsibility for IP rights enforcement. It conducted a consultation asking for views on what the body's priorities should be.

More than 80 organisations contributed suggestions as part of the views-gathering exercise. OHIM said they had all been "carefully considered" and has outlined plans to draw up a "work programme" for the Observatory "on the basis of the consultation".

"Stakeholders stressed the need to focus on data collection in order to support policymaking, raise awareness, enhance enforcement capabilities and facilitate the creation of synergies between policies and initiatives undertaken at national, EU level and international level," OHIM said in a statement.

"The next step is to draw up a draft work programme on the basis of the consultation, which will be discussed during the Observatory Plenary meeting in September. This work programme will be presented to the Administrative Board and Budget Committee in November with the first projects expected to kick off in March 2013," it added.

In its previous guise the Observatory was called the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy. It was first established  in 2009 with a remit to monitor activity and help countries to work together to reduce illegal activity.

In a statement at the time the Commission said that the Observatory would "bring together national representatives, private sector experts and consumers to work to collect data on and analyse the scope and scale of the problem, share information, promote best practices and strategies, raise awareness and propose solutions to key problems." It added that it was "seeking stronger administrative cooperation between authorities at all levels in the fight against piracy and counterfeiting."

However, a new Regulation  (6-page / 763KB PDF) that came into force in June said that the Observatory needed "an adequate and sustainable infrastructure for the fulfilment of its tasks" and gave OHIM responsibility for the body as well as enhanced responsibility for combating IP infringement.

The Observatory should "become a centre of excellence on information and data relating to infringements of intellectual property rights, by benefiting from the Office’s expertise, experience and resources," text within the Regulation said. The OHIM would "offer a forum" for stakeholders to collect, analyse and disseminate information regarding to infringement and identify and promote "best practices and strategies to enforce intellectual property rights" whilst also "raising public awareness of the impact of infringements of intellectual property rights," it said.