The Delegation of Georgia Held Meetings within the WIPO Assemblies – Report

The delegation of Georgia, visiting Geneva for participation in the 63rd Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), held meetings with senior managers of WIPO and representatives of various Intellectual Property Offices. The Georgian delegation headed by Deputy Chairperson of Sakpatenti Ms. Nino Chikovani, held bilateral negotiations with the heads of the IP Offices of Turkey, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova. Meetings also took place with the representatives of the WIPO Academy and officials of human resources management department of the organization, besides meetings were held with the Head of WIPO Division for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC) and the management of WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.  

During the meeting with Mr. Cemil Başpinar, Acting President of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (Turkpatent), the parties highlighted the fruitful and close cooperation over the years. They considered the issue of signing an Action Plan 2022-2023 within the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between Sakpatenti and Turkpatent in 2016. The following activities to be implemented within the document are: creation of a communication platform for IP field professionals of both countries to promote sharing information and coordination of activities; organizing working visits at Turkpatent to share experience and accelerate  capacity building of examiners, and so on).

Within the 63rd Series of Meetings of the Assemblies, the delegation of Georgia met with Mr. Péter Lábody, Vice President for Legal, International and Innovation Affairs, Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO). The delegation held negotiation with Mr. Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia. The representatives of Sakpatenti met with Ms. Lina Mickiené, Acting Director of the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania as well as meeting was organized with Mr. Eugeniu Rusu, Director General of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). 

During the bilateral meetings, Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson of Sakpatenti extended an invitation to the Heads of the Intellectual Property Offices to participate in the international conference “The Role of National Intellectual Property Offices in the Development of the Intellectual Property System” to be held in Georgia.  At the Conference WIPO Director General and Heads of IP Offices attendance is envisioned. In addition, at the meetings the parties discussed the following issues: the process of Georgia’s joining the European Patent Office (EPO) and the support from the member states; current working issues in WIPO Committees.

Within the WIPO Assemblies, the Georgian delegation held a meeting with Ms. Altaye Tedla, Head of WIPO Academy Distance Learning Program; Ms. Thérèse Dayer, Acting Director of WIPO Human Resources Management Department; and Mr. Habip Asan, Director of Division for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC). The head of the delegation of Georgia extended gratitude to WIPO senior management for the support of Georgia over the years, she expressed hope for continuation of cooperation in future and initiated the following joint programs: to implement the “Intellectual Property for Youth and Teachers (IP4Yourth&Teachers)” and “Intellectual Property Youth Ambassador (IP Youth Ambassador)” in Georgia; to introduce the project “Intellectual Property Training Institutions (IPTIs)”; to develop a distance learning course on IP for judges in the Georgian language; to introduce the joint intellectual property master’s program in cooperation with WIPO at Georgian educational institutions. 

The Deputy Chairperson of Sakpatenti anticipated WIPO support with respect to organization of the “Worldwide Symposium on Geographical Indications” planned for 2023. 

During the bilateral meeting at WIPO Academy the parties evaluated the implemented projects, namely, “Professional Development Program on Geographical Indications (PDP on GI)”, ongoing since 2017; annual international summer school on law “Intellectual Property Law”, held with WIPO support in cooperation with the European Law Students Association (ELSA). 

A meeting took place at WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, during which the issue of signing a memorandum between Sakpatenti and the Center was discussed. Signing of this memorandum will facilitate introducing the alternative dispute resolution mechanism at Sakpatenti. 

WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. It represents a self-funding agency of the United Nations. The WIPO mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. Georgia joined WIPO in 1991 and the country is represented in this Organization by the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – Sakpatenti.