Objectives of the project

The main objective of the project is to raise awareness and knowledge of IPR especially for SMEs, with a view to:

• Raise SMEs’ understanding of the need to integrate IP into their innovation strategies and their business planning;
• Improve the protection of SMEs’ IP rights through increased registration of rights EU-wide and internationally, and increase the use of non-registered protection methods through the effective promotion of these methods;
• Improve protection and enforcement by SMEs of their IP rights from infringement, originating from within or outside the EU;
• Raise SMEs´ ability to fight counterfeiting and increase knowledge of the methodologies available to detect it;
• Develop actions to promote awareness of IPR protection to educate the fashion and design industries (textiles, leather, footwear and furniture) on the risks counterfeiting poses and on the existing means and procedures to combat it;
• Promote and support the use of IP rights in international research, development and technology transfer activities, providing an IP rights support service to current and potential beneficiaries of CIP and Research Framework Programme actions, especially high-tech SMEs and Public Research Organisations.