The training course for STEM mentors, organized by Millennium Foundation with the support of Sakpatenti, implemented during one year throughout Georgia, ended with a tangible result. According to the report presented at the final conference, up to 40 teachers of various public schools of Georgia have been trained. By Acquired, knowledge teachers can introduce to pupils new technologies and arouse interest in various disciplines of sciences and engineering. In addition, the teachers participating in the course established STEM clubs in their schools, the purpose of the clubs is to facilitate development of skills for creating projects in these fields.
Sakpatenti organized a webinar “Intellectual Property - from Idea to Innovation” for the finalists of the Millennium Innovation Award Competition. The participants received detailed information on procedures of obtaining a patent and rules of drafting an application for preliminary patent search. In 2022 Sakpatenti offers a special prize for projects which will satisfy the patentability criteria, it should include novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. To evaluate those criteria’s, the finalist teams can submit an electronic application for preliminary search at Sakpatenti, according to search reports Sakpatenti will nominate team for special prize.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti” and the Department of the Official Language. According to signed document, Sakpatenti and the Department of the Official Language will implement joint educational, research and other forms projects. The ceremony of signing the memorandum took place at Sakpatenti head office and the document was signed by Ms. Nino Chikovani, Acting Chairperson of Sakpatenti, and Mr. Giorgi Alibegashvii, Head of the Department of the Official Language.
Geographical indication “Tqemali” will be added to the Registry of geographical indications registered in Georgia. The registration procedure at the National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia – “Sakpatenti” is at the final stage, as a result of which the official information, together with the application materials submitted for registration, will be published in the Official Bulletin on Industrial Property on June 10 of the current year. If within 3 months from the publication, no additional information is submitted to Sakpatenti, “Tqemali” will be added to the State Registry of Geographical Indications.
Granting the status of a geographical indication to “Ajika” means that the distinctiveness, uniqueness and high quality of this product will be recognized and confirmed by the state. According to the procedure, the official information, together with the application materials submitted for registration, will be published in the Official Bulletin on Industrial Property on June 10 of the current year. If within 3 months from the publication, no additional information is submitted to Sakpatenti, “Ajika” as a geographical indication will be added to the State Registry of Geographical Indications.
Tamarisi early strawberry, Kachagani early peach and cherry, Marneuli early potato and tomato, Tsalka late potato, Dmanisi wheat and pepper - this is an incomplete list of the products, identified as potential geographical indications in Kvemo Kartli region. Therefore, National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia “Sakpatenti” organized and held training on geographical indications and appellations of origin for “Bolnisi Agro Center” staff and local producers.
On meeting held in Batumi on June 3, 2022 where representatives of organizations engaged in the geographical indications system discussed the situation in the Black Sea Basin countries on geographical indications. “International Business Development and Investment Promotion Center’s” (IBDIPC) organized Conference covered issues such as the object and importance of appellation of origin and geographical indication, Georgian geographical indications products, current situation on their registration and protection, international cooperation practices and European experience in this field.
Sakpatenti is working on introducing a third - faster and cheaper way of obtaining a patent for an invention in Georgia by filing a European patent application and requesting its validation in Georgia. To attract international applicants in such a manner and to ensure patent protection according to the European standards, the Agreement on Validation of European Patents (Validation Agreement) was signed between the Government of Georgia and the European Patent Organisation (EPO) in 2019. For entry into force of the Agreement it is necessary to harmonize the Patent Law of Georgia with the European Patent Convention (EPC), the international agreement the Patent Law Treaty (PLT) and the legislation of the European Union countries. To ensure the above-mentioned, Sakpatenti has already drafted the relevant amendments and the Government of Georgia has submitted them to the Parliament.
The third, faster and cheaper way of obtaining a patent for an invention on the territory of Georgia is appearing – validation of a European patent on the territory of Georgia, through which the country will attract international applicants. A necessary pre-condition for entry into force of the Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the European Patent Organisation (EPO) on Validation of European Patents (Validation Agreement), signed in 2019, is reflection of the provisions stipulated by the Validation Agreement in the legislation of Georgia and its approximation to the legislation of the European Union countries. This implies harmonization of the Patent Law of Georgia with the European Patent Convention (EPC) and the Patent Law Treaty (PLT). Sakpatenti has already drafted the relevant amendments and the Government of Georgia has submitted them to the Parliament.
Patent, invention, utility model, copyright and related rights, their inception, protection and operations– these were the topics introduced to the representatives of European and Kutaisi Universities at the training organized by Sakpatenti Training Center. The training activity which was led by tutors of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti”, was attended by representatives of the Faculties of Law, Business and Medicine of the Universities.