As well as damaging the economy, piracy and counterfeiting businesses fuel organized crime such as drug trafficking, people-trafficking, smuggling, fraud and money-laundering, as our Europol studies have shown. , speaking at KYPE, the Head of the Intellectual Property Promotion and Knowledge Service of the Observatory of the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Claire Castel.
He also noted that buying counterfeit products involves health and safety risks, as these counterfeit products do not respect any official safety or health standards, nor do they respect any social or environmental standards.
The availability of legal platforms – including free platforms from public broadcasters – makes high-quality content more readily available, Ms Castel said.
Asked what she thinks needs to change to reduce or combat watching sports from illegal or pirated sources and how to get people to change their mindset, Claire Castel said that first and foremost, awareness is key.
As he mentioned, the EUIPO Observatory is conducting studies to show the scale and scope of copyright infringement.
Already, Claire Castel said, compared to the early 2000s, we can see that the availability of legal platforms – including free platforms from public broadcasters – makes high-quality content more readily available.
With regard to sporting events in particular, he noted that illegal streaming limits the funding that goes back to athletes and local sports organisations.
He added that consumers should also be aware of the risks of using illegal sources, such as data or identity theft, computer viruses and possible fines.
As he mentioned, one must realize that all pirated sources ask for some kind of personal data and some of them even operate on a subscription model, thus asking for details related to financial matters.
Besides, Claire Castel continued, when things are free, it means "you" are the product.
And beyond hurting the economy, piracy and counterfeiting businesses fuel organized crime, such as drug trafficking, people-trafficking, smuggling, fraud and money laundering, as their studies with Europol have shown.
When asked how one can check the validity of a website or pirated and illegal sources, as well as websites with fake sports equipment products, Claire Castel said that just because something is online does not mean it is reliable.
Often, he said, price is an important indicator, meaning if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
To check, Claire Castel continued, the validity of a website and identify pirated or counterfeit products, one should start by verifying the authenticity of the website, look for HTTPS in the URL and check for clear contact information, research the website, reading reviews on trusted platforms, check for active presence on social media, analyze content for spelling and grammatical errors, watch out for unrealistic prices, compare product descriptions with those on official brand websites to ensure accuracy and review payment methods offered.
As Claire Castel explained, legitimate sites provide safe options, while scam sites may push for bank transfers or cryptocurrencies. He also said checking for legal disclaimers and privacy policies, as their absence or poor construction can be red flags, checking for reviews and contact information.
By following these steps, he said, consumers can better assess the validity of a website and avoid pirated, illegal or counterfeit products, ensuring a safer online shopping experience.
Additionally, Claire Castel mentioned that to check whether a source of digital content is legitimate, one could access the EUIPO's Agorateka, the EU's online content portal, which lists around 4.500 sources of legitimate offerings across the EU and is constantly updated with new digital legal offers, providing reassurance to consumers who find it difficult to distinguish digital content from legal to pirated sources (41% of EU citizens according to the latest EUIPO survey).
Asked if she thinks the cost of branded websites leads a significant proportion of consumers to buy fake products or download pirated sites to watch sporting events, Claire Castel said that while cost, affordability and accessibility are certainly influencing or driving factors, particularly for young consumers, when purchasing counterfeit products or streaming content, it is important to realize that purchasing counterfeit or accessing pirated content carries some hidden and often detrimental costs.
He noted that buying counterfeit products involves accepting health and safety risks, as these fake products do not respect any official safety or health standards, nor do they respect any social or environmental standards. Such products, Claire Castel said, can contain harmful materials or fail at critical moments, putting consumers at risk.
Similarly, he said, accessing pirated content comes with risks associated with sharing personal data as well as cyber security risks.
Economically, Claire Castel noted, instead of helping to pay the bills of our fellow human beings working in these sectors, consumers are supporting "the bad guys," the organized crime organizations that use the profits to support other illegal activities. "Not to mention that many times counterfeit products are produced by people in extremely poor working conditions, who are either not legally paid or could be forced to produce the products without being paid," he added.
Asked what measures could be taken in Cyprus or what good practices could be adopted so that copyright and property are not infringed, but also that there is no loss of revenue, Claire Castel said that they are not in a position to give advice on what any EU country should do.
"However, we strongly support the continued inclusion of intellectual property crime in the EU policy cycle - European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and the support and participation of EU Member States in adopting a pan-European approach to dealing with intellectual property crime," he said.
According to a study by the EUIPO, 14% of Cypriot citizens have accessed or watched live streaming content from illegal online sources for sporting events, with the corresponding percentage of young people aged 15-24 being 20%, while across the in the EU, counterfeit sports equipment costs manufacturers €850 million per year, an amount corresponding to 11% of sales losses.
Source: KYPE