At the end of April, on the World Intellectual Property Day, an international seminar titled Public Health and Intellectual Property – Current Issues, Needs and Solutions took place in Riga. The seminar addressed European researchers, entrepreneurs, big medical treatment centres and healthcare technology developers, patent attorneys, and national health policy makers.
Authoritative European experts reviewed current healthcare issues as related to the EU intellectual property (IP) protection policy. In his speech, Mr. Hans Georg Bartels, Senior Program Officer at the Global Challenges Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization, analysed the interaction between intellectual property and public health. Mr. Nathan Wajsman, Chief Economist at the EU Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), pointed out the alarming trends in the worldwide spread of fake pharmaceuticals based on the data of a large-scale study conducted this year. Counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals is a tempting business for criminal groups because it is almost as profitable as the manufacture of narcotic drugs, but penalties for this type of illegal activities are relatively weak. The convincing leader in the production of fake medicines is China, antibiotics and potency preparations being at the top of the list of illegally manufactured and distributed pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Martijn de Lange, Patent Examiner at the Netherlands Patent Office, gave a comprehensive overview of and informed about the recent developments in supplementary protection certificates, whereas Ms. Māra Rozenblate, a leading patent expert from the Latvian Patent Office, spoke about the development of this IP right in Latvia.
The seminar was concluded by a discussion where representatives of innovative companies in the health sector - developers of medical devices, equipment and smart support platforms- shared their experiences. Ms. Liene Puriņa, Chairperson of the Board at Silvanols JSC, stressed the importance of a timely registration of trademarks by pharmaceutical companies which are active in foreign markets. Polish doctor Katarzyna Borycka has founded a company OASIS Diagnostics that offers an innovative diagnostic method of perineal injuries. She emphasized how important it is for a new company to protect its innovations, as it provides an economic basis for faster growth. Mr. Alexander Tsoukalis, the co-owner of Micrel Medical Devices, Greece, shared his long-standing experience as a medical device product developer. There is a serious competition in this segment of the European market. In order to stand out in a saturated market, it is important to develop your brand. Mr. Tsoukalis explained, “Patenting the product changes the DNA of the product, giving the advantage on the market against other products.” Latvian businessman Kristaps Krafte, the founder of Vigo Health JSC, presented a digital therapy program for stroke survivors. It is protected by copyright only and not by patents because it is hard to defend algorithm patents. If it could be done in a safe, not very costly, and effective way, the company would certainly patent its software. Vigo Health is expanding their operations outside Latvia, so it is important to protect their innovations.
The seminar was organized by the Patent Office in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Click here for the seminar recordings in English.
Click here for the seminar recordings in Latvian.