Intellectual property (IP) crime is common in everyday settings, from the fake goods sold online or in physical stores to the music, films and sports matches made illegally available on the internet. Though often regarded as harmless, this form of criminality has serious and pervasive negative effects on the economy, public health and consumer safety, also acting as a revenue stream for organised crime groups to fund other illegal activities.
Eurojust's operational support to intellectual property crime cases
The number of IP crime cases handled by Eurojust in 2025 continued to grow steadily, increasing by approximately 10% compared to the previous year. Almost a third of the IP crime cases supported by the Agency were newly opened in 2025.
Italy, followed by France initiated the highest number of intellectual property crime cases at the Agency in 2025. Germany and Belgium were the EU countries most frequently requested to participate in cross-border IP crime cases, while Switzerland was the most frequently requested third country to assist in such cases.
To strengthen the enforcement of IP rights across the EU, Eurojust and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have been successfully collaborating to boost EU-wide enforcement for intellectual property and provide a more cohesive and robust response to IP infringements. After the joint Intellectual Property Crime Project (2021-2024), the Agency negotiated a new Service Level Agreement in 2025, effective from January 2026.
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union