(30 September 2013) – The European Commission today welcomed the publication of a study on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), which was carried out jointly by the European Patent Office and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market.
This study, “Intellectual Property Rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in the European Union”, measures the importance of Intellectual Property Rights in the EU economy.
Key findings of the study are that about 39% of total economic activity in the EU (worth some €4.7 trillion annually) is generated by IPR-intensive industries, and approximately 26% of all employment in the EU (56 million jobs) is provided directly by these industries, while a further 9% of jobs in the EU stems indirectly from IPR-intensive industries. The study also finds that average remuneration in IPR-intensive industries is more than 40% higher than in other industries.
Examples of IPR-intensive industries include: the manufacture of power-driven hand tools (patents); the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products (trademarks); the manufacture of watches and clocks (designs); book publishing (copyright); and operation of dairies and cheese making (geographical indications).