EUIPO Publishes Intellectual Property and Youth Scoreboard

Counterfeit goods pose a significant threat to consumers' health and safety and is detrimental to the environment. Pirated wares also have a wide range of negative consequences for global economies.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) just released its 2022 edition of the Intellectual Property and Youth Scoreboard that provides an update on the behaviours of young people towards purchasing fake products and intellectual property infringement. The study is based on a survey conducted to the young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in all 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) and it aims to highlight the factors driving young people to purchase counterfeit goods or access digital content from illegal sources.

The study finds that buying counterfeit goods online and accessing digital content from illegal sources, intentionally or by accident, remain as common practise among the young people. Key drivers behind purchasing fakes and accessing pirated content are mostly the price and availability. However, peer and social influence such as the behaviour of family or friends continues to affect the decisions of European youth.