The 11th session of the Interstate Council on Legal Protection and Defense of Intellectual Property was held on September 14, this year. In the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event took place in hybrid format, with a limited number of participants in Chisinau and with a large online participation through the ZOOM platform. The event was attended by plenipotentiary representatives and representatives of intellectual property offices, as well as of other authorities with responsibilities in the field of intellectual property from the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Uzbekistan and Republic of Tajikistan, and also representatives of the CIS Executive Committee.

Representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Eurasian Patent Organization (EPO) also attended the meeting as observers.

The Republic of Moldova held the presidency of the Interstate Council for the second consecutive year, being present at the event with a delegation composed of representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), and also of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Customs Service.

In the opening of the event, the Director General of AGEPI, Eugeniu Rusu, mentioned that: “In the current conditions, we understand more and more the importance of intellectual property not only as an important element of the knowledge-based economy and market relations, but also as a driving force that largely determines socio-cultural well-being and allows us to overcome even the most difficult unforeseen circumstances, including a coronavirus pandemic or climate change, the solution of which is possible only through innovative solutions. The Interstate Council on Legal Protection and Defense of Intellectual Property, which is a permanent body for CIS sectoral cooperation, allows us to jointly seek the best solutions to the existing problems of the functioning of the industrial property legal protection system. It is an honor for us to hold the presidency of the Interstate Council. In this context, I would like to express my gratitude to all participants for the openness and willingness to participate in the 11th session of the Interstate Council, an event organized for the first time in a hybrid format.”

According to the work agenda, several topics related to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) were discussed during the Interstate Council’s meeting. The participants in the meeting addressed a number of important issues concerning regional cooperation in the field of IPR protection and enforcement, including measures taken by CIS states to combat infringements of intellectual property rights, including in the digital environment, and on the Interstate Cooperation Program of the CIS Member States until 2030, approved by Decision of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS of 6 November 2020.

The Parties exchanged information and views on measures taken to overcome the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Member States discussed and took decisions on the priorities of the Council’s activity in the next period, including its involvement in improving the legislative framework in the field of regional competence, and also the contribution of the Council and Member States to building the IP evaluation system in the region, training and education of staff, etc.

The presidency of the Interstate Council was taken over by the Russian Federation.

In conclusion, Eugeniu Rusu, Director General of AGEPI, thanked those present for their participation and confidence in granting the presidency of the Republic of Moldova to the Interstate Council for two consecutive years.

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The Interstate Council was created on the basis of the Agreement on cooperation in this field and the creation of the Interstate Council on Legal Protection and Defense of Intellectual Property, signed on November 19, 2010, in Sankt Petersburg.

The said Agreement was approved by the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Moldova No. 442 of 16.06.2011 and was sent to the Parliament for information.

The main purpose of the Agreement is to coordinate the joint activity of improving the interstate system for the protection and defense of intellectual property and counteracting intellectual property offences.