Welcoming the observatory-EPO report: Recognition of intellectual property’s role in contributing to innovation and EU economies
30.09.13
EFPIA DG Richard Bergstrom welcomes the publication today of the Observatory-EPO report on the value of Intellectual Property in Europe, a valuable step forward in demystifying IP and the value it holds for everyday Europeans.
- “All these words are not familiar to me, they make me think of multinationals, they belong to a reality that is not mine.”
- “I have heard about this [Intellectual Property] but it still feels like something far away. This is not relevant to my daily life”
The above quotes are from a report examining European Citizens’ relationship to Intellectual Property – and they highlight a major problem in the lack of awareness surrounding IP in Europe. It’s understandable: IP is a complex topic and it’s certainly not something people think about every day. But IP has a major impact on the everyday lives of Europeans and it’s important that people are aware of this. To my industry, it’s an essential factor in driving forward the innovation that produces new and improved medicines for patients.
But innovation has another benefit that might be less obvious – it can help build sustainable healthy economies. This is the topic addressed by the report published today, “Intellectual property rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in Europe ”, which was carried out jointly by the European Observatory on Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights and the European Patent Office. It is a valuable step forward in highlighting the value of IP as a driver of innovation and an importer contributor to healthy economies.
Studies like the one I point to at the beginning of this blog post – a survey on the perception of IP in Europe presented at an Observatory Public Awareness Working Group meeting this past June have shown that opinions and knowledge of IP in Europe is not comprehensive and often contradictory. The publication of today’s report is an important milestone in the Observatory’s mission to change this situation. The report shows how IP-driven innovation can help create jobs and stimulate growth in Europe:
- About 39% of total economic activity in the EU (worth some €4.7 trillion annually) is generated by IPR-intensive industries;
- Approximately 26% of all employment in the EU (56 million jobs) is provided directly by these industries, while a further 9% of jobs in the EU stems indirectly from IPR-intensive industries;
- Average remuneration in IPR-intensive industries is more than 40% higher than in other industries.
These are just some of the key points from the report that help demonstrate the high value of Intellectual Property Rights to European society and citizens. I’m glad the report came out today, the same today as the kick-off of the Joint Technology Initiatives: Innovation in Action event, which celebrates the achievements and vision of innovative initiatives in Europe, including the Innovative Medicines Initiative. The innovative industries represented by these JTIs – from medicine to aeronautics and nanoelectronics – all rely heavily on IP to successfully develop innovative solutions that can better society. But if we want such projects to continue, we need to protect IP – and part of that involves helping everyday people, not just policymakers or industry specialists, to recognise the value of IP.
To accomplish this, we need better communication around IP topics. Here at EFPIA, we are working to expand knowledge about IP through our website and blog. Our sister association, IFPMA, has done interesting work in explaining IP in a way that will capture the attention of the general public – like this video – while the U.S. Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) offers a good resource in its “IP Delivers Your Daily Needs” brochure. The Observatory report launch today is another great step forward. We need to continue these efforts to engage with the public on IP issues and demystify IP. Opinions that IP “belong to a reality that is not mine” or that IP “is not relevant to my daily life” need to be changed. To do so, it’s up to the experts to detangle the intricacies of IP in a way that everyday Europeans can understand it – and recognise the impact it has on the society they live in.
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More Information
Observatory-EPO Report “Intellectual property rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in the European Union”:
The Observatory-EPO report includes industry and firm-level analysis of trademarks, patents and designs, as well as industry-level analysis for copyright and Geographical indications. It examines the number of people employed in IP-intensive industries (both directly and indirectly) and the value-added (GDP) created in those industries. It examines two main streams: First the relationship of IP to innovation and Second, the impact of IP on national economies – i.e. in terms of job generation.
European Observatory on Infringement of IP rights
The European Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights is a network of public and private sector experts and stakeholders, which has been set up to promote discussion, research, training, communication and the spread of best practice on IP matters. It has been created in 2009 and entrusted to OHIM since 2012.
OHIM
OHIM, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (trademarks and designs), is the European Union agency responsible for registering trademarks and designs that are valid in all 28 countries of the EU.
EPO
The EPO, European Patent Office, is The European Patent Office (EPO) offers inventors a uniform application procedure, which enables them to seek patent protection in up to 40 European countries. Supervised by the Administrative Council, the Office is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation.
EFPIA & IP
The EFPIA website includes a number of pages with information on Intellectual Property. EFPIA is continually expanding the updating the information available on these pages – keep an eye out for updates!
