The European Union’s intellectual property rights authority, EUIPO, is launching the campaign Foul Play. In it, supporters are invited to watch official broadcasts and buy approved sports equipment.
According to a EUIPO study, 14 per cent of Swedes access or stream content from illegal online sources to watch sports. For young people (15-24 years old), a whopping 33 per cent state that they have done this. Sweden is one of the EU countries with the biggest problem with piracy. The EUIPO estimates that media piracy generates €1 billion in illegal revenue annually.
In addition to sports broadcasts, counterfeit sports equipment is also sold, which costs manufacturers 850 million euros a year, according to EUIPO. However, this figure does not include sportswear (such as pirated football shirts and sports shoes), which make up a significant part of the estimated €12 billion in counterfeit clothing in Europe per year.
The consequences of buying counterfeit goods are far-reaching and often extend beyond immediate financial loss. In 2023, European police authorities seized a staggering 8 million counterfeit luxury and sports goods, with an estimated market value of 120 million euros. This operation, known as Operation Fake Star, not only exposed counterfeiting rings but also unearthed other serious crimes such as organized crime, smuggling, fraud, and money laundering. Nine per cent of Swedes have knowingly purchased counterfeit sports equipment online, a statistic that underscores the need for greater awareness and vigilance.
Read more about the campaign and watch the campaign film here.
Finland has also recently launched a campaign particularly aimed at young people. The campaign has two parts: a social media campaign and educational material. The campaign is also available in Swedish, please spread it.
-In recent years, we have been concerned about the increasing number of 15–24-year-olds violating IP rights. It seems that ignorance and indifference are behind it. Therefore, together with Kopiosto and PRS, we thought it was important to give young people more information about IP rights and what they mean, says Jaana Pihkala, CEO of TTVK.
Campaign aimed at young people and students can be found here.
Short Video: The IP Game.
In Sweden, Nordic Content Protection (NCP) recently launched the campaign “Illegal TV services, a lower cost at a high price”.
The information videos are available on NCP’s YouTube channel.
Publicerad: 2024-06-19