In 2020, Greece established an interagency structure, known as DIMEA, to focus on tackling the illicit trade in counterfeit goods and services within Greece (Law 4712/2020). The unit, which is led by representatives of the police, the Financial and Economic Crime Unit of the Ministry of Finance, and the Coast Guard and customs authorities, had the authority to seize and destroy counterfeit goods, and impose fines of up to 100,000 euro. In 2021, DIMEA seized and destroyed 285,000 counterfeit items and imposed 2.85 million euro in fines.

Trademark violations, especially in the apparel and footwear sectors, are still widespread. However, Greece was removed from the Special 301 Watch List in 2020 in recognition of government efforts in addressing IP protection and enforcement. Such efforts included the allocation of over 39 million Euros for the purchase of software licenses in the public sector, the invitation for respective public tenders, and the establishment and imposition of fines for possessing counterfeit products through the adoption of new respective legislative provisions.

Greece is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the European Patent Convention, the Washington Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Bern Copyright Convention.  As a member of the EU, Greece has harmonized its IP legislation with EU rules and regulations.  The WTO-TRIPS agreement was incorporated into Greek legislation on February 28, 1995 (Law 2290/1995).  The Greek government also signed and ratified the WIPO internet treaties and incorporated them into Greek legislation (Laws 3183 and 3184/2003) in 2003.  Greece’s legal framework for copyright protection is found in Law 2121 of 1993 on copyrights and Law 2328 of 1995 on the media.

For additional information about treaty obligations and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles. The U.S. Commercial Service can provide a list of local lawyers upon request.

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources, as well as State Department’s Investment Climate Statements, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in foreign economies. (Link: State’s ICS).

IP Attaché Contact for Greece

For more information on intellectual property rights in Greece, see the Investment Climate for Greece.