Tasks and activities

The Regulation transferring the Observatory to OHIM covers responsibility for a wide range of tasks relating to research, communication, spread of best practice, and enforcement of all types of intellectual property rights. This includes not only trade marks and designs, but all IP rights.

The tasks include:

Improving the understanding of the scope and impact of infringements of intellectual property rights, including industrial property rights, copyright, and rights related to copyright;
Improving the understanding of the value of intellectual property;
Enhancing the knowledge of best public and private sector practices to protect intellectual property rights;
Raising citizens´ awareness of the impact of infringements of intellectual property rights;
Enhancing the expertise of persons involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights;
Enhancing the knowledge of technical tools to prevent and combat counterfeiting and piracy, including tracking and tracing systems;
Improving the online exchange between Member States´ authorities and fostering co-operation with and between the central industrial property offices of the Member States, including the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property;
Fostering international cooperation with intellectual property offices in third countries to build strategies and develop techniques for the protection of intellectual property rights, skills, and tools.