Sales of pirated food products claiming 'geographical indication' (GI) status in Europe were worth an estimated €4.3 billion in 2015, according to a report by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The level of pirated products varies considerably by category: 12.7 per cent in spirits; 11.5 per cent for fruits, vegetables and cereals; 11 per cent for fresh meat and meat products; 10.6 per cent for cheeses; 8.6 per cent for wines; and 0.1 per cent for beer.
The highest consumer loss in absolute terms is in wine (€1.3 billion), as it accounts for more than half the consumption of GI products (54 per cent of the total).
In the EU, GIs for wine, spirits, agricultural products and foodstuffs are protected as sui generis intellectual property rights that act as certification that certain products possess particular qualities, characteristics or reputations essentially attributable to their geographical origin and method of production.
Examples include Bordeaux, champagne, Scotch whisky, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Bayerisches Bier.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
