Students from 13 European countries completed intellectual property training at the Intellectual Property Education and Training Center of Sakpatenti.

Students from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Greece, France, as well as from Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland successfully completed the intellectual property training at the Intellectual Property Education and Training Center of Sakpatenti.

The International Summer School of Intellectual Property Law has been implemented since 2016 in cooperation between the European Law Students’ Association Georgia (ELSA) and Sakpatenti. Over this period, more than 200 students from leading universities of the European Union have participated in the program.

The International Summer School is designed for law students from European countries who, within the framework of the program, explore both theoretical and practical aspects of intellectual property law using the example of Georgia. The aim of the training is to increase interest in the field of intellectual property among future lawyers and to familiarize them with the intellectual property protection system of Georgia.

It is noteworthy that within the framework of the five-day academic program, participants learned about the legal mechanisms for the protection of intellectual property, as well as the recent reforms implemented in Georgian legislation aimed at aligning with European standards and international best practices.

Special attention was given to the importance of effective enforcement of intellectual property rights and an overview of the existing mechanisms. Within the scope of copyrights and the related rights, participants discussed the specifics of rights protection in the digital space, as well as the legal regulation of works created using artificial intelligence. Trademarks, designs and geographical indications were analysed in the context of brand and product identity protection, as the integral elements of competitiveness and successful business operations.

The session on inventions and patent law was focused on assessing their close connection with innovations and the role the patent system plays in the development of an innovative ecosystem. Within the framework of the summer school, the invited speaker Mr. Emil Hasanov, Senior Program Officer of the Transition and Developed Countries Division (TDC) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), introduced participants to the international aspects of intellectual property and the mandate of the organization in the process of shaping global policy.

In addition, the students visited the Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), where they were thoroughly introduced to the agency’s activities and objectives. They also visited the Clearance Economic Zone “Tbilisi” of the LEPL Revenue Service, where they became familiar with the specific functions of the Customs Department, customs procedures and methods of combating counterfeiting, and mechanisms for responding to violations.

The training was conducted in an interactive format, incorporating practical exercises and case-based activities. The sessions were led by trainers from the Sakpatenti Intellectual Property Education and Training Center, certified by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The closing ceremony of the Summer School took place on July 25 at Sakpatenti’s Mtskheta office. At the event, the Chairman of Sakpatenti, Mr. Soso Giorgadze, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. He congratulated the students on successfully completing the training and emphasized that in the era of innovation and new technologies, intellectual property plays a vital role in the economic, social, and cultural development of countries. In his remarks, the Chairman highlighted the importance of giving young professionals and future lawyers the opportunity to learn about Georgia’s intellectual property system and to establish professional connections, given the international nature of intellectual property rights protection. Mr. Soso Giorgadze also expressed hope that some of the participants would become future students of the joint international master’s program “Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” which is being implemented at the initiative of Sakpatenti, in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Kutaisi International University (KIU). At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Soso Giorgadze awarded the participants with certificates confirming the successful completion of the training.