On November 25th 2020 ,the European Commission published its Intellectual Property (IP) Action Plan, which aims at taking stock of what has already been put in place and see how to further strengthen the EU’s IP framework to support the EU’s recovery and resilience. Identifying five key challenges, namely: 1) a fragmented IP system; 2) companies not taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by IP protection; 3) the insufficient development of tools to facilitate access to IP; 4) the thrive of counterfeiting and piracy; and 5) the lack of fair play at global level, the Commission put forward five main priorities in its Action Plan.
Firstly, it wants to better protect intellectual property. To do so, the Unitary Patent System should be launched in 2021, with the possibility to introduce a unitary supplementary protection certificate in 2022. It will also explore how new technologies such as AI and blockchain can improve the effectiveness of the IP system.
The Action Plan also seeks to promote the effective use and deployment of IP. This can be achieved through both the further roll-out of tailor-made IP advice in the Horizon Europe programme and the setting up of a European IP Information Centre.
It will also look to ensure an easier access to IP protected assets, by incentivizing the rapid pooling of critical IP in times of crisis and simplifying compulsory licensing. Additionally, it wants to build a solid framework to allow businesses to create, access, share and use data.
Its fourth priority will be to fight intellectual property rights infringement. This will be done by both strengthening OLAF’s role in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, and establishing an EU toolbox against counterfeiting.
Finally, the EU will aim at ensuring fair play at global level regarding IP rights, by introducing ambitious IP chapters in trade agreements, speaking with one voice in multilateral fora and considering EU accession to the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks.
To read the full Intellectual Property Action Plan, please click here.