2nd March 2026 marks 34 years since the Latvian Patent Office (LPO) – the institution responsible for registering industrial property rights and promoting public understanding of the importance and value of intellectual property in Latvia – resumed its activities following the restoration of Latvia’s independence.
The LPO was established on 9th February 1920. However, it operated as the industrial property registration authority of an independent state only until 17th June 1940 – the day Latvia was occupied. Following the restoration of Latvia’s independence, and on the basis of the decision of the Supreme Council of Latvia “On the Restoration of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia”, the Council of Ministers adopted the decision “On the Establishment of the Patent Office” on 19th February 1992. The restored LPO resumed its work on 2nd March, and its first Director was Zigrīds Aumeisters, under whose leadership the foundations were laid for a modern intellectual property protection system in Latvia.
Until the beginning of 1993, the registration of industrial property was governed by temporary regulatory acts, while the second year of the LPO's operations began with the adoption of the Patent Law, the Law on Trade Marks, and the Law on Design Protection. In the years that followed, these regulatory acts were both amended and replaced with new ones.
Already on 19th March 1992, the LPO received the first patent application submitted by a foreign applicant, whereas the first trademark application was filed by a foreign applicant on 27th March 1992. The first international patent application was received by the LPO on 5th August 1994.
Since the restoration of its operations, nine Directors or Acting Directors have been appointed to lead the LPO. The current Director, Agris Batalauskis, has been heading the office since 1st February 2022.
The LPO represents Latvia’s interests in international intellectual property organisations – the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Union Intellectual Property Office, and the European Patent Office. It also maintains close cooperation with intellectual property institutions in the Baltic and Nordic region, as well as with other European Union intellectual property offices.
While the institution’s early operations were based on the processing of paper documents, the LPO has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades. Today, it has become a modern, contemporary and almost fully digitalised office. Every entrepreneur and inventor can apply for and receive all the LPO’s services in digital format, ensuring a fast, efficient and accessible intellectual property protection process.