On Friday, 19 September, Director of the Latvian Patent Office (LPO) Agris Batalauskis met with the heads of the intellectual property (IP) offices of Hungary and Ireland - Szabolcs Farkas (Hungary) and James Kelly (Ireland) respectively - to discuss issues topical for the IP system and the IP offices.
The heads of the three IP offices met to discuss and share experiences on the strategic and practical aspects of their institutions' activities.
The discussions focused on the issues of ensuring daily work processes, allocation of functions, and strategic goals for 2026. The leaders exchanged best practice examples in measuring productivity and quality in the field of trademarks, patents and designs. They also emphasised the importance of digitalisation and modern technology solutions for both improving customer service and increasing the efficiency of internal processes.
The discussions touched upon such topics as the development of national IP ecosystems, the IP office’s role in the field of copyright, and strengthening cooperation. The heads discussed the mechanisms of attracting all interested parties, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.
Attention was also paid to European Union and international issues, including cooperation with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, the European Patent Office, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, as well as the challenges of implementing the new system of geographical indications.
The exchange of experiences provided a deeper understanding of each country's approach and enabled new ideas, laying in this way the foundations for even closer cooperation in the future.