As the winter season approaches, bringing with it Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas, and Reyes Magos, many of us are on the lookout for the perfect gifts for our children. Toys are often at the top of the wish list, but this time of year also brings a heightened risk of counterfeit toys flooding the market.

To combat this threat, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has been supporting, since its launch in 2020, Europol’s annual initiative, codenamed Operation LUDUS, to crack down on toy counterfeiting.

Outcomes of the operations Ludus since 2023

The figures from the last two annual operations have just been published, revealing a sharp increase in seizures and arrests, which underscores the growing scale of toy counterfeiting and the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement efforts across the EU Since 2023, the operation led to the seizure of 16.6 million packages of toys, with an assessed value of EUR 36.8 million. 555 persons were reported, either to judicial authorities, or to administrative or health authorities.

Risks posed by counterfeit toys to children and to the economy

Counterfeit toys pose a significant risk to children, as they may contain hazardous materials and chemicals that can be toxic to children, and their poor build quality can lead to accidents and injuries.

The counterfeit toy industry also has a major impact on the EU economy, with the toy sector experiencing the highest average sales loss from counterfeit goods, estimated at around EUR 1 billion, which represents 8.7% of total sales. This results in approximately 3,600 fewer people employed in the industry and significant tax evasion*.

Advice to consumers

To avoid the risks associated with counterfeit toys, consumers are advised to take precautions when making purchases. This includes buying from renowned suppliers and shops, carefully checking tags and labels for the CE mark, safety instructions, and recommended age, and being wary of low-quality packaging and spelling mistakes.

The role of the EUIPO

As a long-standing partner of Europol, the EUIPO has played a crucial role in supporting Operation Ludus, supporting the logistical organisation of the operation and facilitating collaboration between rights holders from the private sector and enforcement authorities through the Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP).

More broadly, the concerted efforts between Europol, the EUIPO, custom authorities, national law enforcement agencies and private sector partners have enabled the disruption of key supply routes, simultaneous cross-border operations, and a strengthening of the EU’s capacity to detect and seize counterfeit toys before they reach consumers. These coordinated actions have not only resulted in significant seizures and arrests but also sent a strong deterrent message to criminal networks operating in this sector. By leveraging intelligence-sharing platforms such as the EUIPO Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP), authorities and the private sector have improved real-time collaboration, ensuring that enforcement measures are swift and effective across multiple jurisdictions.

Source: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news/cracking-down-on-counterfeit-toys-euipo-supports-europol-s-operation-ludus