€500 million lost every year throughout the EU due to fake sports equipment

A new study from the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), shows that the sales lost due to counterfeiting of sports equipment –not including sportswear– correspond to 6.5% of all sales in this sector across the 28 EU Member States. The sale of fake sports equipment, such as footballs, sports helmets, tennis rackets, skis, gym equipment and skateboards, costs legitimate EU manufacturers €500 million every year. Approximately 2,800 jobs are lost in this sector throughout the EU.

The President of OHIM, António Campinos, said: “Very few of people enjoying sports know about the economic damage caused by counterfeit sports equipment in their own Member States, and across the EU as a whole. With this report, we are investigating the effects of counterfeits in terms of lost revenue and jobs.”

Upon calculations UK manufacture of fake sports equipment costs the sector €50 million, France – €82 million, Germany – €44 million , Italy – €53 million, Spain -€76 million, Lithuanian – €1 million.

The published report is the part in a series of studies on the economic impact of counterfeiting in industrial sectors in the EU. The other material of research will be published in near months.

OHIM is the EU´s intellectual property agency, responsible for the creativity and innovation, -registering Community trade marks and registered Community designs, protection. Other studies and research works made by the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Right.