The European Patent Office (EPO) and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM - Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office of the EU) have published their second joint study this year entitled European Citizens and Intellectual Property. Based on surveys of EU citizens concerning the importance of intellectual property with regard to general perception and personal codes of conduct, the study concludes that an overwhelming majority of Europeans believe that patents and copyright are of paramount importance to creativity and prosperity. However, it is also apparent from the survey results that a significant proportion of respondents tolerate or justify the use of counterfeit or pirated products. The younger and more educated respondents were, the more likely they were to tolerate an occasional or private exception to a general ban on copying.

The study is published in English with a shorter executive summary also being available.