The European Commission has published its second Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List, naming websites and physical marketplaces outside the EU that it believes are involved in piracy.
In a statement the commission says the Watch List aims to encourage the operators of the marketplaces as well as alerting local enforcement authorities and governments to take action to stop or prevent intellectual property infringements.
The Watch List has focuses on four areas: websites providing copyright-protected content, e-commerce platforms, online pharmacies and physical marketplaces.
According to the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the OECD, trade in counterfeit and pirated products amounts annually to around €460 billion worldwide. The European Union is particularly affected, with counterfeit and pirated products amounting up to around 6,8% of all imports or as much as €121 billion a year.
The list is updated regularly.
