A new estimate by EUIPO places annual losses caused by counterfeit good and pirated content in 11 major economic sectors in the European Union at nearly RON269 billion (EUR55.9 billion). The study estimates global losses of 7.4% of the total sales in the following sector: cosmetics and personal care products; clothing, footwear and accessories; sporting goods; toys and games; jewelry and watches; handbags and luggage; recorded music; spirits and wine; pharmaceuticals; pesticides; smartphones.
As legitimate manufacturers produce less than they would have in the absence of counterfeiting, this hiring fewer workers, the study estimates 468,000 jobs in these sectors are directly lost across the EU. In Romania, the job loss due to counterfeiting is estimated at 26,715.
Overall, the total losses due to counterfeiting in Romania amount to RON280 per capita.
The clothing, footwear and accessories sector in Romania loses an annual RON949 million due to counterfeiting, or 15.6% of total sales. The loss in the cosmetics sector is estimated at an annual RON301 million, or 11.8% of sales.