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Market surveillance role in combatting counterfeit products

UNECE WP.6 Webinar

21 February 2023 14:00 - 16:30

Report

Background

In 2007, the UNECE Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies adopted Recommendation M on Use of Market Surveillance Infrastructure as a Complementary Means to Protect consumers and Users against Counterfeit Goods. This recommendation establishes the importance of having all agencies at the border working together to combat counterfeit products. Market surveillance agencies can play a key role with their direct link to many private sector stakeholders and testing laboratories. After checking compliance with all applicable requirements of the national legislation, it is also possible for market surveillance authorities to check if the goods might infringe intellectual property rights, to involve other relevant authorities and intellectual property right holders. This involvement in the combat against counterfeiting is not to replace other enforcement agencies, but to allow market surveillance agencies to also contribute; the main objective being a cooperation and coordination of market surveillance activities between market surveillance, customs and other authorities concerned.

Objective

Fifteen years after the adoption of Recommendation M, how has this been implemented in the field? What are the success stories or the challenges? Have market surveillance agencies taken an active role in the combat against counterfeit goods? This webinar will respond to these questions with case studies from various countries. It will also seek to establish the links with other border agencies in this area, notably customs agencies. And it will include testimonials from major brands that are victim of intellectual property right infringements.

The webinar will look at the content of Recommendation M and either confirm its continued pertinence or suggest evolutions in the text.

Target Audience

Market surveillance agencies, other border agencies involved in the combat against counterfeits – notably customs, private sector stakeholders concerned by counterfeiting.

Agenda

Welcome

  • Mr. Ariel Ivanier, Chief of Market Surveillance Section, UNECE [Bio]

World Trade Organization example of medical products

  • Ms. Anna Caroline Müller, Legal Affairs Officer, WTO [Bio] [PPT]
  • Mr. Lauro Locks, Counsellor, WTO [Bio]

Background: History of Recommendation M [PDF]

  • Mr. Lance Thompson, Secretary of Working Party 6, UNECE [Bio][PPT]

Experience of Serbia on market surveillance and IPR enforcement

  • Ms. Vera Despotović, Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade of the Republic of Serbia, Chair of the UNECE-WP.6 Advisory Group on Market Surveillance [Bio][PPT]
  • Ms. Daniela Zlatić Šutić, Assistant Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of the Republic of Serbia [Bio][PPT]

Experience of Danish governmental cooperation and approach to enforcement of IPR infringements

  • Ms. Janne Hedegaard, independent IPR enforcement consultant [Bio][PPT]

Experience of the United Kingdom’s National markets Group for IP Protection

  • Mr. Gavin Terry, Chairperson of Markets Group [Bio][PPT]

Discussion on the eventual evolution of UNECE Recommendation M

  • Mr. Lance Thompson, Secretary of Working Party 6, UNECE
  • Ms. Vera Despotović, Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade of the Republic of Serbia, Chair of the UNECE-WP.6 Advisory Group on Market Surveillance