Parallel importers evade EU

Proposed Enforcement Directive fails to address price cutting across member states

Resellers have been urged to start lobbying the European Union (EU) over its proposed IPR Enforcement Directive's failure to address price undercutting across member states.

While grey importers who offer goods never intended for sale in the EU can be easily prosecuted under current law, the position is less clear for goods authorised for sale in one member state but not another.

Draft regulation going through the European Parliament to tighten intellectual property rights (IPR) may still allow 'parallel importers' to continue operating without sanctions.

The IPR Enforcement Directive is in a consultation phase that ends on 12 January. Interested resellers should contact the UK Patent Office.

Dr Jeremy Philpott, UK Patent Office representative, said: "We want to know what people think should be the directive's definitions of counterfeit and piracy."