EUIPO product verification tool expanded to e-commerce marketplaces
E-commerce sites can now use EUIPO data to verify the authenticity of the products they list.
The EUIPO’s IP Enforcement Portal(IPEP), enables rights holders and authorities to communicate and share information, with over 1,400 rights holders making use of the service in the EU.
In order to build on the service’s infringement prevention capabilities, it is now accessible to e-commerce marketplaces, as these are where infringement can often be identified.
E-commerce sites are a key intermediary for the buying and selling of goods, and thus have the potential to be used as a tool for the sale of counterfeit products.
E-commerce marketplaces will not have access to the tool’s full range of functionalities, including access to rights holders’ products and applications for action information.
However, they will be able to use IPEP to verify IP and notify right holders when relevant to the marketplace’s IP protection work, if contact information has been made available.
In due course, e-commerce sites will be able to use IPEP to identify and contact the correct people within law enforcement when they become aware of rights infringement on their site.
To read more about the steps that the EUIPO is taking, click here.