The State Agency on Intellectual Property has taken note of the denigration campaign that has recently unfolded in the public space and on social networks against the institution and its Director General, Mr. Eugeniu Rusu.
AGEPI reaffirms its commitment to the principles of transparency, integrity and compliance with the legal framework in all its activities. The statements circulated in both written and audio format are clearly manipulative and do not reflect reality. We believe that these attacks are motivated by personal interests and come from individuals who, in the past, have worked in organizations with responsibilities for collective management of rights and/or collection and distribution of remuneration for authors and rightholders. The checks carried out by AGEPI in accordance with the legislation on copyright and related rights have revealed irregularities that may explain the hostile reaction of these individuals towards AGEPI and its employees.
Moreover, it is regrettable that this campaign is not limited to attacking AGEPI and its management – an institution with a strong pro-European vision – but also aims to discredit European institutions by making completely unfounded accusations of alleged abuses related to the use of funds from EU-funded projects. Although these allegations are absolutely false, they can undermine the credibility of the European Union and call into question the fairness and integrity of European projects.
In the current electoral context in the Republic of Moldova, we believe that this campaign is, at least partially, orchestrated or exploited by forces that do not support our country’s European path and that seek to discredit democratic institutions and European values among citizens.
In this context, AGEPI emphasizes the following:
- Respect for freedom of expression and creativity – AGEPI fully respects the right of citizens to freedom of expression and appreciates their creativity and imagination. However, freedom of opinion and expression must not violate the rights and freedoms of other persons and cannot be used to attack their integrity and dignity. Denigration campaigns based on false or manipulative information harm not only the persons concerned, but also public trust in state institutions and democratic values.
- Respect for the legislative process – The adoption or amendment of legislation does not depend on the will of a single person or institution. The process is regulated by Law No 100/2017 on Normative Acts and involves public consultations, endorsement by the Government, debate and adoption in two readings in Parliament, as well as promulgation by the President of the Republic of Moldova. AGEPI strictly adheres to these procedures, ensuring transparency and stakeholder involvement at every stage.
- Ensuring institutional transparency – AGEPI has consistently demonstrated openness to dialogue with all stakeholders by publishing draft normative acts on its website for public consultation and organizing workshops and debates with the participation of national and international experts.
- Commitment to dialogue and cooperation – AGEPI is a transparent and open institution, providing a platform for communication and consultation for all interested persons and organizations. Within this framework, all topics related to AGEPI’s field of competence can be discussed fairly and constructively, in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation for the development of the intellectual property system in the Republic of Moldova.
We reiterate that AGEPI will not be involved in a defamatory campaign based on unverified information. The institution will continue its legal mandate to promote and protect intellectual property in the Republic of Moldova for the benefit of creators, rightholders and society as a whole.
Should defamatory statements continue and harm the image of the institution, AGEPI reserves the right to use all available legal instruments to protect its reputation and that of its employees.