In the context of marking the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) started an information campaign among children from summer camps in Chisinau on the risks of counterfeiting and piracy.

The aim of this initiative is to inform children about the risks associated with counterfeiting and piracy, as well as to develop understanding and respect for intellectual property rights.

The start of the campaign was given at the Republican Center for Children and Youth ARTICO. About 60 enthusiastic children were present at the event. Andrei Moisei, principal consultant in the Communication and Training Division of AGEPI, presented an interactive and engaging lesson, illustrating the negative effects of counterfeiting and piracy. In addition, the children had the opportunity to examine various counterfeit products provided by the Customs Service and thus developed their ability to recognize them.

During the event, informative and educational materials were distributed, providing children with essential knowledge to understand the serious consequences of purchasing and using counterfeit or pirated products. AGEPI also conducted a survey to assess children’s perception of piracy and counterfeiting. The results of this survey will be analyzed by AGEPI and will contribute to the elaboration of a Consolidated Report.

This information campaign will continue in the summer camps in Chisinau during the months of June and July.

AGEPI wants to form an aware and responsible generation that recognizes and combats the phenomena of counterfeiting and piracy. Through this initiative, it aims to promote respect for intellectual property and raise awareness among children, thus contributing to a safer and more protected environment for innovation and creativity.

Every year, on June 6, the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day is marked, having been established since 1998, at the initiative of the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Network (GACG), with the aim of raising public awareness of the economic damage that counterfeiting and piracy brings to commercial companies. In recent years, the phenomenon of infringement of intellectual property rights has increased especially with the evolution of information technologies. These illegal practices cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs worldwide and can often endanger the health of consumers or cause serious damage to the environment.

A number of committees and groups of organizations on enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) have been established at the international level.

In 2011, on the recommendation of European experts, AGEPI established the Observatory on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, whose basic activity is monitoring the situation in the field of IPR enforcement in the country. The purpose of launching this information point was to create an interinstitutional communication platform within which topics related to IPR enforcement are addressed and even resolved, combining the efforts of AGEPI, the General Police Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Customs Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Courts Administration Agency, the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection and the Competition Council.