Text tabled : A7-0003/2012

  Maria do Céu Patrão Neves (PPE), in writing. − (PT) The economic welfare of the European Union depends on the maintenance of its creativity, cultural diversity and capacity for innovation – driving forces of the knowledge society. That is why the protection of intellectual property rights is equally beneficial to companies, innovators, and consumers as well as to parties interested in cultural creation. Over recent years, there has been an increase in copyright abuse and in the trade in counterfeit and pirated goods, which, as well as causing inherent economic damage, is also morally reprehensible and a punishable civil act. The digital economy has seen a rise in the number of violations of intellectual property rights due to falsification, unauthorised copying and piracy, and these are extremely damaging to the creative and cultural economy of the European Union. It is for these reasons that I have voted in favour of the present report, which aims to implement measures to combat this scenario.