On Tuesday, 28 March, the Patent Office and the Boards of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) held a seminar for intellectual property practitioners.
Opening the seminar, Mr Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office, expressed his gratitude to the EUIPO Boards of Appeal for their active participation in the organization of the seminar. In his address, he stressed that intellectual property has become an important factor in economic success, since it is innovation that determines competitiveness and welfare in a globally connected world. Therefore, it is important to create a favourable environment for new ideas and creative solutions, ensuring effective protection of intellectual property rights.
Mr João Negrão, President of the EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal, welcomed the opportunity to be in Riga again and meet with Latvian intellectual property professionals. He emphasized that the last autumn meeting in Riga was valuable and provided a lot of new ideas. It is important to listen to the opinions, recommendations, and criticisms of experts from national intellectual property institutions and practitioners in the field. Open discussions help develop such a system of intellectual property rights in Europe that contributes to the economic growth and the flourishing of creativity. In his presentation, Mr. Negrão analysed the performance of the EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal, expressing his satisfaction with the progress in the resolution of disputes in the negotiation procedures that end in amicable settlements.
Ms Nina Korjus, Chairperson of the Fourth Board of Appeal, Mr Kirsten Bauch, Head of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Service, and Ms Janka Budovičova, Project Manager, gave Latvian patent attorneys, other representatives of trademark applicants, judges and experts of the Patent Office and the Industrial Property Board of Appeal, an insight into the recent case law on absolute and relative grounds and proof of trademark use, provided a clear guide through the EUIPO appeal proceedings, and analyzed practical aspects of mediation.
In turn, Ms Zane Pētersone, Judge of the Supreme Court of Latvia, presented the latest Latvian case law in intellectual property. In her presentation, she focused on the most prominent disputes of the last two years, providing an overview of the development of intellectual property rights in Latvia. This presentation aroused great interest among the attendants of the seminar.
Ms Māra Vilciņa, Project Manager of the Development and International Cooperation Department of the Patent Office, informed the seminar participants about the The Ideas Powered for business SME Fund 2023.
The seminar participants also had the opportunity to communicate with each other, sharing information and opinions about current events in the field of industrial property protection both in the European Union and in Latvia.
The seminar photos are available here.