Mr. Soso Giorgadze Met with the INTA President and Chief Executive Officer

Within the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Mr. Soso Giorgadze, Sakpatenti Chairman, and Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson, held a meeting with Ms. Jomarie Fredericks, President of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and Mr. Etienne Sanz de Acedo, Chief Executive Officer of INTA. 

At the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for deepening cooperation, among these, discussed planning of joint events related to trademarks. 

Mr. Soso Giorgadze informed the Chief Executive Officer of INTA about the amendments to be made to the Trademark Law of Georgia, prepared by Sakpatenti, which was supported by the Government of Georgia and will be submitted to the Parliament of Georgia for discussion in the autumn session.

The amendments are aimed at harmonization with the EU legislation, taking into account the best practices of the world. Mr. Soso Giorgadze noted that as a result of the amendments, detailed classification of goods and services necessary for the exact definition of the scope of trademark protection will be made, the authority of the Chamber of Appeals functioning at Sakpatenti will increase and the terms of conducting examination in the trademark registration process will be shortened. The draft Law envisages the possibility of protecting certification marks in Georgia, which is a completely new service, and its registration will allow producers to confirm the high standard of their products, which will facilitate the development of the trademark system and, accordingly, the economy of the country.

At the bilateral meeting, the INTA CEO confirmed to the Sakpatenti Chairman the strong support of INTA and noted that with the involvement of INTA, it will be possible to organize meetings of trademark owners and sectoral specialists in order to share information related to trademarks. Arranging joint events and implementing various target projects will contribute to the development of the intellectual property system in Georgia. 

It should be noted that Georgia is a party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, and the legislation of Georgia is full compliance with international standards.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of trademark owners which unites more than 7 200 organizations from 190 countries and 31 000 trademark professionals. 

INTA activities are directed at supporting the development of trademarks and, in general, the intellectual property system. INTA also carries out activities aimed at raising public awareness, popularization of the trademark system, various educational programs, provides support for the protection of the rights of trademark owners, offers them legal assistance and ensures elaboration of the relevant legislation. INTA annual meeting and exhibition are regularly attended by companies owning well-known brands of the world, leading law firms and international, regional and national agencies working in the intellectual property field.