On May 15, 2024,  the Parliament of Georgia adopted draft Law “On Patent Attorneys of Georgia” (hereinafter – the Law), which entered into force from January 1, 2025.

The Law regulates the qualification requirements of a patent attorney of Georgia, the legal relations in connection with registration of a person and granting him/her the status of a patent attorney of Georgia, as well as defines the main principles of activity, powers and obligations of a patent attorney of Georgia, the principles and main goals of establishment and activity of the Association of Patent Attorneys of Georgia. 

Article 31 of the Law determines the legal status of persons who were granted the status of patent attorney of Georgia before enactment of this Law. In particular, according to Paragraph 1 of the above-mentioned Article, a person who was granted the status of a patent attorney of Georgia before enactment of this Law shall be equated to a patent attorney of Georgia with general specialization provided for by this Law. 

Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of the same Article, the  person defined in Paragraph 1  within 2 months from enactment of this Law shall file a request for registration in the Register of Patent Attorneys of Georgia to the Legal Entity of Public Law – the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti” (hereinafter – Sakpatenti) in accordance with Article 78 of the General Administrative Code of Georgia and shall attach to it the following documentation:

On the basis of the submitted documentation, Sakpatenti shall register the person in the Register of Patent Attorneys of Georgia.

The above-mentioned persons, pursuant to Article 31(3) of the Law, within 2 months from the registration in the Register of Patent Attorneys of Georgia shall submit to Sakpatenti the documents confirming the compulsory insurance of professional responsibility provided for in Article 5 of the Law.  

Proceeding from the above, the persons who were granted the status of patent attorney of Georgia before enactment of this Law within 2 months from enactment of this Law shall submit to Sakpatenti the documentation indicated in Article 31(2), and within 2 months from the registration in the Register of Patent Attorneys of Georgia – the documentation specified in Article 31(3).

Failure to submit the above-mentioned request and documents within the set period is the basis for termination of the powers of a patent attorney of Georgia.