Last year the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia invested its resources to offer clients a wider range of e-services and online tools. In spring 2020, the first online patent database was launched, which offers a possibility to obtain information about national patents, European patents validated in and extended to Latvia, as well as supplementary protection certificates. In the fall, eight new patent e-services were offered to the Patent Office's clients, ensuring continuous availability of the services. At the end of the year, a new e-service was launched – a fast track examination for new trademark applications. As a result, the decision on the registration is issued within 15 working days, without additional fee for the expedited procedure.
Despite the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent decline in economic development, the number of national patent applications can be considered as stable, whereas in the group of small and medium-sized enterprises it has even increased compared to 2019. The number of design applications to the Patent Office under the national procedure slightly increased, in turn the number of trademark applications decreased.
In 2020 in total 94 national patent applications were received, 93 of them submitted by Latvian applicants. 1,557 applications were received for the validation of European patents in Latvia, while for the extension of European patents to Latvia -11 applications. 73 national patent applications were published, and 60 Latvian patents were granted for the protection of inventions.
Latvian universities and scientific institutes were unchangeably the most active patent applicants; the activity of individual applicants also remained at the previous year’s level. Especially a positive trend was observed in relation to small and medium-sized enterprises, whose number of patent applications increased more than twice, i.e., from 10 to 23,” commented Baiba Graube, the Acting Director of the Patent Office.
The Patent Office has received 2214 trademark registration applications, that is less compared to the year 2019, when 2790 applications were received. 52% of them were trademark applications under the national procedure, but 48% - extensions of international registrations of trademark in Latvia. 2608 trademarks were registered that 1108 of them were registered under the national procedure, but 1500 – under Madrid system.
The Patent Office has received 79 design applications containing 141 designs. All applications were of Latvian origin. In 2020, as a result of examination, 111 designs were registered under the national procedure and 60 design registration applications were issued. Under the international procedure, in accordance with the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, 23 registrations containing 39 designs extended to Latvia, were examined.
Although the number of trademark applications under the national procedure slightly decreased as compared to 2019 – and this trend had been expected with the global crisis caused by Covid-19 – overall, the number of trademark applications could be described as stable and in line with the economic activity. In turn, the number of national design applications increased,” states Baiba Graube.
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in trademark applications submitted from Latvia to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). 291 EU trademark applications were filed from Latvia with EUIPO, and 244 trademarks were registered. 110 Community design applications were filed from Latvia with EUIPO and obtained registration.
More information about the Patent Office progress in 2020 is available on the Patent Office webpage: Annual Report 2020.
About the Patent Office
The Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia is an independent state institution operating under the supervision of the Minister of Justice. The main functions of the institution are to implement the State policy in the field of industrial property, to perform the functions of the State Industrial Property Authority provided for in international agreements to Latvia, to register the rights to industrial property objects by maintaining the relevant registers and providing the necessary services in this field, as well as to promote awareness of the protection of industrial property in the country and society.