News & Positions

First ever EU wide study on economic importance of trade marks and other IP rights

On 30 September, the first pan-European study proving the essential contribution of intellectual property-intensive industries to the EU was published by the European Trade Mark Office and the European Patent Office. Based on a solid methodology and independent data the study shows the contribution of these industries to gross domestic product (GDP), employment, wages and trade at both EU and Member State level, including aggregated and separate figures per IP right (trade marks, patent, copyright, geographical indications and designs).

Main conclusions of the study:

• About half of European industry sectors can be considered IPR-intensive (321 out of 615)
• IPR-intensive industries account directly for 25.9% of all jobs in the EU, so around 56 million direct jobs. With the addition of 20 million indirect jobs (suppliers etc.) , 1 in 3 of all EU jobs rely on IPR- intensive industries
• These industries generated 39% of total economic activity (GDP in the EU), worth €4.7 trillion
• IPR-intensive industries pay higher remuneration than non-IPR intensive industries, with a wage premium of more than 40%; the average weekly remuneration in IPR-intensive industries is €715, compared with €507 in non-IPR intensive industries
• IPR-intensive industries account for 90% of the EU’s trade with the rest of the world