Sakpatenti will participate in the Annual Meeting of International Trademark Association (INTA). Information on Georgia will be introduced to representatives of companies owning more than 9500 well-known brands worldwide, law firms and offices related to the intellectual property field. The meeting, which is the most significant event in the world with respect to trademarks, will be held on May 21-25, 2016 in Orlando (Florida, USA).
on May 18, 2016, a meeting took place at Sakpatenti with the US Government delegation, headed by Mr. Steve Gardner, Chief Counsel for the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel. During the meeting, ongoing projects funded by CLDP were discussed, which are aimed at raising awareness on intellectual property issues among various target groups, in particular, annual trainings for judges, journalists and lawyers. With CLDP support, events for Sakpatenti examiners capacity building, study visits to the USA and visits of American examiners to Georgia to share experience with Georgian colleagues are also organized. During the meeting, the ongoing meeting on Internet Service Providers Liability, funded by CLDP, to be held in Georgia, in July, 2016, was also discussed.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the People's Republic of China (SAIC) will issue a registration certificate for geographical indication “Chacha” in several months and Georgia will return the right on it on the territory of China. The information concerning the preliminary decision was introduced to the Georgian delegation, headed by Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and Chairman of Sakpatenti, by the Chinese colleagues. The official meeting took place of May 11, 2016 in Beijing, at the Trademark Office of China, within the 2nd round of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and the People’s Republic of China.
Within the campaign on occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day – April 26 – special lessons are delivered for pupils of elementary grades of up to 100 public schools. The lessons are aimed at raising awareness on the essence and significance of intellectual property and copyright. A special lesson plan was drafted for the 4th-6th grades, in cooperation with USAID Georgia Primary Education Project (USAID/G-PriEd) and with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The recommendation on delivering the above-mentioned lesions was sent to public schools. The teaching material includes a reading book “Doremius Solas” (author: Irma Malatsidze), created by cooperation of G-PriEd and Sakpatenti, a fairy tale on copyright, as well as the article on inventions “Strange Patents”, published in newspaper “Reading Time” intended for pupils.
In order to raise public awareness on copyright and increase youth involvement in this field a conference took place with the participation of students of Telavi State University and pupils of Qvareli and Gurjaani public schools. During the meeting, held on April 24, 2016, at Qvareli Training Centre of Justice, the youth familiarized with a general overview of intellectual property, legislation regulating copyright and related rights, as well as copyright in publishing activities.
Today, on April 22, Sakpatenti hosted participants of the 10th International Olympiad of Young Scientists and Inventors. Mr. Nikoloz Gogilidze, Chairman of Sakpatenti, and Mr. Merab Kutsia, Head of Department of Inventions and New Varieties and Breeds, delivered presentations on the intellectual property and patent system. The meeting was attended by contestants from 25 countries. They familiarized with the specificity of Sakpatenti activities and ongoing processes in the intellectual property field. The received information will assist the participants of the Olympiad in effective continuation of research and creation of intellectual property subject-matters.
The registration procedure of six Georgian appellations of origin has been completed at the Federal Service for Intellectual Property of the Russian Federation. The exclusive right for the appellations of origin “Khvanchkara”, “Tvishi”, “Akhasheni”, “Tsinandali”, “Mukuzani” and “Kindzmarauli” on the territory of Russian Federation was granted to the National Wine Agency.
Intellectual Property Training Centre set up under the umbrella of Sakpatenti closed the first course on intellectual property law. The lawyers of the Municipal Centre for Legal Assistance and Public Engagement of Tbilisi City Hall and LEPL Legal Aid Service will be the first to receive the certificates of the Centre today, on March 18, 2016, at Sakpatenti head office. The course offered by the training centre will help practicing lawyers to strengthen knowledge on intellectual property law and gain relevant experience, on the basis of which trained lawyers will provide qualified consultations to citizens.
Mr. Octavian Apostol, Director General of the State Agency on Intellectual Property of Republic of Moldova (AGEPI), and Ms. Svetlana Munteanu, Assistant Director General, paid an official visit to Georgia. On March 21, 2016, a bilateral meeting was held between the officials of the offices at the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia Sakpatenti. During the meeting the parties discussed the intellectual property systems and challenges in Georgia and Moldova and joint cooperation plans for better fulfillment of the obligations under the Association Agreement with the European Union.
Today, on March 1, 2016, Georgian Bar Association and National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia Sakpatenti organized a round table meeting for lawyers and patent attorneys at Sakpatenti Tbilisi Office. Sakpatenti new approaches on trademark examination issues were introduced to lawyers and patent attorneys. Last year the number of appeals related to trademarks filed with Sakpatenti Chamber of Appeals, decreased by 20%, which was due to the improvement of examination quality and introducing a uniform practice at Sakpatenti.