The AGEPI representatives participated in a Seminar on intellectual property rights held in Chisinau from 13 to 14 December 2018. The seminar was organized by the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) and was intended for customs officers from the Republic of Moldova, including the Transnistrian region.

The event aimed to familiarize the participants with the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, the tools and mechanisms for ensuring IPR protection at the border.

The event was opened by Mr. Slawomir Pichor, Head of the EUBAM Mission and Mr. Vasile Plamadeala, Trade Expert, EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, who highlighted the timeliness of the issues addressed during the seminar.

AGEPI was present at the seminar with a delegation headed by Mr. Andrei Popa, Deputy Director General. Traditionally, the trademark field has been the most requested. Mrs. Natalia Mogol, Deputy Head of the Trademarks and Industrial Design Department, made a presentation focused on the practical aspects of trademark protection in the Republic of Moldova, familiarizing the audience with the legal regulations on trademark registration and protection on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

The legal framework for the registration of trademarks at community level as well as the information tools at the service of the European authorities in order to make IPR enforcement more effective have been presented by the representatives of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) who attended the seminar via videoconference.

Representatives of right holders from the Republic of Moldova and those from abroad have brought to the attention of the participants the techniques for identifying the original products from counterfeit ones, as well as the information and education programs implemented by the associations of right holders, destined for both authorities and consumers.

At the end of the event, AGEPI was asked to inform the participants about the results of the EU Project “Support to Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Republic of Moldova”, finalized in November this year. The participants showed interest in the outcomes produced within the project, especially those that can contribute to the efficient implementation of IPR at the border, to the consolidation of the Customs Service collaboration with other authorities with responsibilities in the field, as well as with the rights holders.

The event is part of a program of activities carried out by the EUBAM Mission to support the implementation in the Republic of Moldova of the provisions of the RM-EU Agreement on the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), in particular strengthening the Republic of Moldova’s capacities to provide an efficient and safe mechanism for the application of customs procedures in the import-export operations, including on the Transnistrian segment.