PROTECTION AGAINST THE INFLOW OF PIRATED AND COUNTERFEIT GOODS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – THE ROLE OF CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES

Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods is a major challenge in a global economy that is based on innovation. The increase in counterfeit goods is not limited to the territories where they are produced, as such goods are often exported to other countries. As a result, the continued flow of counterfeit goods across borders has become one of the main challenges for customs authorities. It must be remembered that the actions of customs authorities are of an administrative nature and the customs authorities themselves are not authorized to determine the infringement of intellectual property rights. However, customs authorities are in a privileged position to contribute to the prevention and prosecution of infringements of intellectual property rights. The aim of the article is to present the European Union’s activities to protect against the inflow of counterfeit and pirated goods. The specific objective is to show the role of border controls carried out by customs authorities as an important mechanism for the protection of intellectual property rights. The research used data from the European Commission and EUIPO, based mainly on confiscations made by customs authorities, in order to identify trends in the development of counterfeiting.