The importance of the region of Southeast Europe for Intellectual Property rights holders, particularly multi-national companies, lies in the fact that it represents a large and continuously growing market of, at present, approximately 80 million people. Moreover, being the “Southeast gate into Europe”, it has become an important port of entry of counterfeit and pirated goods into the EU, as established by Europol in its report dated April 2011.

As far as Intellectual Property rights are concerned, all countries in the region have, with more or less success, adjusted their laws and regulations to fall in line with equivalent EU laws and regulations. The governments are constantly increasing their efforts to improve the environment for the successful protection of Intellectual Property rights – on the one hand, by more consistency and greater speed in the work of the Courts, and on the other hand, by involving customs and other authorities in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.