Fight piracy and protect lives and jobs says Labour Euro MP

Date published: 23 July 2010

In response to the Annual Report on EU Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, which was published yesterday, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy has called for continued action to fight counterfeit and pirate goods across the EU.

Arlene McCarthy MEP said: “In 2009, EU Customs took action in 43,500 cases involving several million products suspected of being counterfeited or pirated at the external borders of the EU. What’s clear from this report is that the European Parliament’s tough stance on intellectual property rights and counterfeit and pirate goods needs to be maintained.”

“Counterfeit and pirate goods don’t just put consumers lives at risk they also put peoples livelihoods at risk, as some 4,000 people a year lose their jobs as genuine producers go out of business.”

“Estimates suggest that amount lost in VAT from the sale of counterfeit goods alone is as much as £1.75 billion – more than enough money to have saved the Building Schools for the Future programme cancelled by the Lib Con government.”