A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by the Hellenic Industrial Property Organization (OBI) and the Municipality of Rhodes on Friday, June 27, 2025, as part of the “Authenticities” Program, implemented by OBI in collaboration with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The Memorandum was signed by the Mayor of Rhodes, Alexandros Koliadis, and on behalf of OBI, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dimitris Chronis. Also present were the Deputy Mayor for Entrepreneurship and the Municipal Unit of Petaloudes, Nikolaos Tsoulos, and the General Director of OBI, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos. Attending the signing as well was the President of the Rhodes Trade Association, Konstantinos Spanos, as the Association is actively participating in the Program.
The “Authenticities” program is a coordinated effort by the EUIPO, in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Offices of EU member states, aimed at fostering a mindset among European citizens to purchase authentic products. The goal is to protect European businesses and the European economy from Intellectual Property rights violations.
More specifically, the implementation of the project and the certification of Rhodes as an “Authenticity” city is a shared goal of the involved parties. It is a key step toward informing and raising awareness among citizens about Intellectual Property, promoting a culture of purchasing authentic goods, and shaping Rhodes’ identity as an “authentic” European city that exclusively promotes genuine products and takes all necessary actions, within its jurisdiction, to combat the trade of counterfeit and pirated goods.
The central message of the initiative, as defined by the EUIPO, is the slogan: “The AUTHENTIC is eternal”, which will accompany all communication and awareness activities carried out at the local level.
As part of the program, the Municipality of Rhodes will make use of all available promotional tools, such as its official website and social media channels, to showcase the “Authenticities” project and the related actions to be carried out on the island. The Municipal Authority of Rhodes is committed to strengthening the local economy and supporting healthy entrepreneurship, actively participating in this European initiative, and contributing to the development of a market based on trust, transparency, and respect for consumers and creators.
Greece is participating in the AUTHENTICITY Program with the following cities:
- Thessaloniki
- Mykonos
- Corfu
- Argostoli
https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/el
