Today, the EUIPO has published its IP Perception Study 2020, an updated edition on how IP rights are perceived by EU citizens as well as a roadmap for all the EU countries about counterfeiting and piracy attitudes and behaviours. In total, 25.636 interviews were conducted with EU residents aged 15 and above.

Following the previous surveys by the EUIPO in 2013 and 2017, this third edition shows an encouraging change in understanding and attitudes. The vast majority of EU citizens agree about the importance that those who invest time and money in innovation have their rights protected and are paid for their work, with a large increase in particularly for artists and creators. People also seem to have a better understanding of IP rights in general, which means they will be less inclined to infringe them.

There has been a slight drop from 7% to 5% for the intentional purchase of counterfeits and from 10% to 8% for intentional piracy. Young people continue to be the biggest group that buy counterfeits and download illegally. At the same time, the trend to perceive the purchase of counterfeits as harmful continues to rise up from 12% to 17%. This is likely to be reinforced by the public response against fake medicines and personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As concerns downloads, EU citizens are now more willing to pay for legal content, especially if it is made available at a reasonable price. This change may be partially linked to the increase in the availability of legal sources.

Such changes and their reasons need to be further investigated, and this updated document will continue to be a relevant resource for researchers, IP professionals and policymakers. Nevertheless, these data will help stakeholders at the national level to better combat IP crime and shape future public awareness strategies.

If you would like to consult the infographic of the Study, please click here.

If you would like to consult the executive summary of the Study, please click here.