Regional initiatives

Innovative SMEs are important drivers of economic growth, job creation, and innovation in every country.  These case studies from the EPO demonstrate how European SMEs, across sectors and countries, leverage IP rights for growth. It also highlights the challenges they face in securing, enforcing, and effectively managing their IP rights.

The EU and United States publish reports about IP protection and enforcement challenges faced by their innovators in different markets. These reports are considered by some to be controversial, for the types of IP issues they raise and for giving rise to some political discomfort.  The reports play a key role in signalling challenges that IP owners – whether trademark, copyright, patent, or trade secrets owners – report around the world, so they can be evaluated and addressed in policy discussions and negotiations.