ALICANTE - The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Furniture Industries Confederation (EFIC) signed a collaboration to generate awareness of intellectual property to national furniture associations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the official website of EUIPO.

EFIC represents over 70% of European furniture manufacturers and 40% of the world’s total trade in the furniture sector; the confederation employs 1 million people across 120 000 businesses in Europe that generate an annual turnover of some EUR 98 billion.

This collaboration, in the context of supporting European SMEs, under the SME Program highlights the measures for design protection, the latter of particular interest to an industry in which design is key and the threats of counterfeiting and unfair competition are everyday realities.

The EUIPO is the European agency responsible for managing the EU trade mark and the registered Community design which are valid in all EU Member States. 

For the EUIPO, this agreement will allow direct access to EFIC members (national associations of furniture producers from the EU/EEA), SMEs and start-ups to whom they can extol the benefits of IP rights protection through training, fast and efficient problem identification and resolution mechanisms, and targeted, trustworthy advice.

Both organizations are working to foster a positive change in perception of intellectual property among EU SMEs and provide them with information and tools for protecting their ideas and designs.

“We are delighted to welcome EFIC to join the Ideas Powered for Business network. The EFIC represents 70% of the total turnover of the furniture industries in Europe. By having them on our side, we can reach those SMEs in a sector in which IP plays a vital role in the protection of designs and counterfeit prevention", Andrea Di Carlo, Deputy Executive Director, EUIPO said. 

"We are pleased to have signed this collaboration agreement with EUIPO, the European Union Intellectual Property Office. It is a great chance for EFIC to explore collaboration opportunities in relation to EUIPO’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and measures for design protection. Design is a key aspect of our industry, and the protection of intangible contents remains a priority in order to ensure the competitiveness of the industry," Edi Snaidero, President, EFIC added.