Mr. Soso Giorgadze Met with the Economic Chief of the U.S. Embassy

Mr. Soso Giorgadze, Chairman of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti”, hosted Ms. Diana Costa, Economic Chief of the Embassy of the United States of America, at the head office in Mtskheta.

The participants of the meeting spoke about the positive and fruitful cooperation between Sakpatenti and the U.S. Embassy over the years and discussed prospects for future cooperation. The Chairman of Sakpatenti focused attention on the results of the projects implemented with the participation of the U.S. side and expressed gratitude to the guests for their cooperation.

During the meeting, the reforms carried out at Sakpatenti in recent years were discussed in detail. Among these, special note was made of the reform of the patent attorneys system, as a result of which a system based on modern standards has been established, oriented toward promoting professional development and strengthening the mechanisms for the protection of intellectual property. In addition, the ratification of the Validation Agreement with the European Patent Organisation was highlighted, which made it possible to recognize European patents in Georgia, significantly simplifying the process of obtaining patent protection for foreign applicants.

The conversation also touched upon the introduction of the new Master’s Program “Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship”, which was launched on the basis of the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation signed between WIPO, KIU and Sakpatenti and represents a unique educational initiative in the region. The reform carried out in the field of copyright and related rights was also noted, as a result of which the rules for accreditation of collective management organizations were established and modern, transparent mechanisms for the collection and distribution of royalties were introduced.

The representatives of Sakpatenti provided the U.S. side with statistical data on intellectual property subject matter of American origin registered in Georgia, including data on the registration of patents, trademarks and other IP subject matter.

At the meeting, the challenges existing in the field of intellectual property were also discussed, including the problem of Internet piracy, which remains a serious challenge from the perspective of protecting the rights of authors and other right holders in the digital environment. In addition, international experience and legislative practices in this direction were also reviewed.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Nia Lomadze, Economic and Commercial Specialist at the U.S. Embassy. On the part of Sakpatenti, the meeting was attended by Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson; Ms. Darejan Mtchedlidze, Head of the Department of Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Design; and Ms. Nini Jincharadze, Chief Specialist of the International Relations and Protocol Division.

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to continue active and close cooperation in the future, which will facilitate the further strengthening of the intellectual property system and the development of an innovative environment in Georgia.