The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), jointly with the EU Project “Support to Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” in the Republic of Moldova, organized on 19 October the National Seminar entitled “Intellectual Property and Competition”. The event was attended by experts of the EU Project, AGEPI specialists and specialists from the Competition Council and the Agency for Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance.

In the opening, AGEPI Director General Lilia Bolocan stressed that under the conditions of a free competition-based economy, it is very important to establish clear and effective rules to combat unfair competition. “Competitiveness needs to be stimulated systematically, encouraging all producers to develop new technologies and offer new products. To the achievement of these goals, fully contribute intellectual property objects, which make it possible to distinguish both between producers and the products offered by them, serving as a means of protection in the sphere of trade and, at the same time, as a source of consumer information on products and producers, etc. Also, these objects, being protected, ensure the exclusive rights of the owner, an essential aspect in the development of loyal competition,” added Lilia Bolocan.

The participants then addressed a number of issues related to trademark protection, copyright, related rights and protection of industrial design, exhaustion of intellectual property rights, intellectual property rights and competition – the practice of the Republic of Moldova, trade and repackaging of pharmaceuticals, exhaustion of intellectual property rights in the digital environment, etc.

The Technical Assistance Project “Support to Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” is funded by the European Union and will be completed in November 2018.