In 2024, authorities across the European Union seized over 112 million counterfeit items, with an estimated retail value of €3.8 billion. These figures, published by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), reflect the ongoing strength of coordinated enforcement efforts across customs, police, and market surveillance authorities in all EU Member States.
Trends in Intellectual Property (IP) enforcement
While the total number of items seized is lower than the exceptional record set in 2023, this year still marks the second highest in the series. Compared to 2022, detentions in 2024 are up by over 30%, underscoring the persistent scale and complexity of intellectual property (IP) infringement across both physical and digital marketplaces.
Notably, despite fewer items being detained, the estimated value of detentions in 2024 reached its highest recorded level. This apparent increase is attributed to higher unit prices of the counterfeit goods seized, reflecting a shift in the nature and market impact of IP-infringing products.
Counterfeit goods continue to threaten consumer safety, fair competition, and innovation—ranging from traditional items such as toys, perfumes, cosmetics, clothing, and recorded CDs/DVDs (including software) to newer categories like e-cigarettes and vaping devices.
Emerging technologies are fuelling the proliferation of more sophisticated counterfeits, while rising demand for application software and retro-gaming content has ignited a surge in copyright-infringing counterfeits. This evolving landscape reflects the growing complexity of IP infringement across both physical and digital marketplaces.
In 2024, the authorities from 7 Member States generated 90% of the volume and value of counterfeit goods detained. Specifically:
- Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Poland accounted for 90% of the total volume of items detained.
- Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Greece, and Netherlands were responsible for 90% of the total estimated value.
A new tool for data exploration: The IP Enforcement Detentions Dashboard
To support deeper analysis and policy development, EUIPO has launched the IP Enforcement Detentions Dashboard, a new interactive platform that transforms these enforcement figures into an engaging and accessible digital experience. Building on the legacy of the 2023 annual report, the IP Enforcement Detentions Dashboard, developed using Power BI, allows users to explore the data from three distinct perspectives:
- Overall figures
- Internal market detentions by police and market surveillance authorities
- Border figures for customs detentions
With this new format, EUIPO seeks to enhance user engagement, improve data exploration and transparency, and ensure better accessibility and responsiveness across all devices. These improvements reflect EUIPO’s commitment to delivering high-quality digital tools that support evidence-based policymaking and foster collaboration across the IP enforcement community.