The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will provide consultative support to the European Commission (EC) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to help rights holders and consumers navigate the online world more safely.

Under a five-year agreement with the Commission, the EUIPO will provide technical support and expertise in intellectual property (IP)-related matters to help address IP rights infringements online, with a particular focus on the sale of counterfeit goods and the distribution of pirated content.

A key part of the EUIPO’s work will be to assist the Commission’s experts in the oversight of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs), which reach more than 45 million average monthly users in the EU.

In this context, the EUIPO will help analyse internal reports submitted by these platforms to assess how effectively they are tackling IP infringements. It will also organise specialised training for national authorities responsible for enforcing the DSA and will support the work of the European Board for Digital Services, an advisory body under the DSA, by contributing to its working group discussions on IP.

The agreement also foresees that the EUIPO will help build knowledge and expertise among judicial authorities, IP right holders and smaller online intermediaries, as well as develop a shared collection of best practices and tools to help online platforms prevent the misuse of their services and ensure the reliability of traders’ information.

Adopted in 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to create a safer, more transparent and accountable online environment for users, businesses and rights holders across the EU.

For example, under the DSA, social media services, online marketplaces, and hosting providers must implement ‘notice-and-action’ mechanisms that allow users and rights holders to report illegal content, such as counterfeit goods or pirated material.

The regulation also requires VLOPs and VLOSEs to assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to their services, while increasing transparency and accountability in how they address illegal content online. By strengthening cooperation between EU institutions, national authorities and digital platforms, the DSA aims to better protect consumers, support legitimate businesses and safeguard intellectual property in the digital economy.

Other posts by :

1. Shotwell makes TIME front cover
2. Suitors eye Globalstar
3. SpaceX: IPO offer in days?
4. New Brittin, new BBC?
5. Forecast: SpaceX tracking to $20bn revenue in 2026
6. EchoStar’s Dish restructures debt obligations
7. AsiaSat hits Zee and JioStar with legal actions
8. Nvidia unveils orbital chip/computer for AI and data
9. Space Sector: ‘Profound Acceleration in 2026’

Categories: Articles, Business, Content, Piracy, Policy, Regulation

Tags: EUIPO, European Commission, European Union Intellectual Property Office