SAKPATENTI - National Intellectual Property Center

The Delegation of Georgia Held a Meeting with WIPO Director General – Mr. Daren Tang will Visit Georgia in Upcoming Fall

July 24, 2022

Within the working visit to Geneva for participation in the 63rd Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the delegation of Georgia held a meeting with Mr. Daren Tang, WIPO Director General, at the headquarters of WIPO. At the meeting the longstanding, close cooperation between WIPO and Sakpatenti was emphasized, which was not hampered even in the conditions of the two-year pandemic crisis. Moreover, with WIPO support, through use of its tools and digitalization of databases, it became possible to offer services to users without interruption both in distance and hybrid mode.

As Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson of Sakpatenti noted during the meeting, “the longstanding cooperation with WIPO covers all areas of intellectual property, of which one of the most outstanding is the direction of education and the steps taken in this respect. To intensify further this sphere, we would be delighted to introduce an additional distance-learning course with support of the WIPO. Georgian judges will be given an opportunity to pass in the Georgian language the distance learning course of WIPO Academy intended for judges. In addition, I would like to inform you that Sakpatenti held negotiations with state universities of Georgia regarding the possibility of introducing the intellectual property law master’s program in Georgia in cooperation with WIPO Academy, which received favorable response from the universities. Introducing of the program will be a significant step forward for the development of the area in Georgia as well as in the entire Caucasus region, as this will enable not only Georgian students but also students from the countries of this region to receive modern, international education in the intellectual property protection field”.

WIPO Director General expressed support to the initiative articulated by Ms. Nino Chikovani and parties agreed to plan negotiations on given matter in the framework of Mr. Tang’s scheduled working visit to Georgia in autumn.

At the meeting, the Georgian delegation highlighted the importance of WIPO support with respect to one of the priority directions for Georgia – protection and strengthening of the geographical indications system. In particular, Sakpatenti delegation appealed for the support on WIPO to organize the “Worldwide Symposium on Geographical Indications” in 2023 in Georgia. Given event will be a significant precondition for increasing the export potential of Georgian agricultural products.

Mr. Daren Tang expressed at the meeting his appreciation and encouragement of the intensive cooperation between WIPO and Sakpatenti, within which numerous significant activities are implemented. He emphasized the importance of the planned signing of a memorandum between Sakpatenti and WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, which implies cooperation in the area of use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

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.