Earlier this week, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) clarified the extent to which copyright holders can bring legal claims for online infringement before courts based in their home country, even when the illegal copying and subsequent sales of the material occurred in a second or even third country.
Growth Driven IP Assets
A report produced by the European Patent Office and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Markets has found that around 39 per cent of total economic activity, worth some €4.7 trillion annually, is generated by industries that are reliant on intangible IP assets as the basis of products and services.
Music Industry Welcomes IP Crime Unit
The recording industry has welcomed the recent launch of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PICPU), which burst into the news earlier this month after PICPU officers arrested two men in possession of thousands of allegedly bootleg DVDs and CDs.
First Arrest for Intellectual Property Police Unit
It was announced on Friday (September 13) that the new police intellectual property crime unit (PIPCU) has made a lightning start by carrying out its first raid and arresting two men in Birmingham and seizing thousands of suspected counterfeit box sets, including titles such as CSI and Game of Thrones, worth around £40,000.
Ofcom Sees Copyright Infringement As “Minor Activity”
According to the latest research from regulator Ofcom, under a fifth of internet users have accessed content online illegally, with only 18 per cent of television programmes being in breach of copyright laws.