EU launches China piracy fight

The EU will focus on China in its fight against counterfeiting.

In an announcement on Thursday, the European commission said China accounts for two thirds of all counterfeit goods seized entering the EU.

But Brussels insists it is not unfairly singling out China and says it will be hoping to continue “in-depth cooperation” to tackle the problem.

“This is not a blacklist of countries,” a commission spokesman stressed on Thursday.

“We want to engage positively with the countries on this list.”

Secondary priorities in the fight against counterfeiting are identified as Russia, the Ukraine, Chile and Turkey.

Countries have been singled out for action following a wide ranging survey of EU businesses.

Companies were asked to comment on their experiences with intellectual property rights (IPR.)

Brussels says the exploitation of property rights goes to the heart of the EU’s ability to compete globally.

“Counterfeiting directly attacks creativity,” the European commission said in a statement.

The crack down on piracy forms part of a new competitiveness agenda for trade policy.

The EU executive says it would seek WTO action to tackle continued infringement of intellectual property rights.

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