On Tuesday, 29 September, the Cabinet of Ministers, approved the proposal of the Ministry of Justice to change the name of the Patent Office. From 1 January 2027, the institution will be known as the Latvian Intellectual Property Office, a name that more accurately reflects its operational competences and role within the intellectual property system of Latvia.
Minister of Justice Edvards Smiltēns emphasises that Latvia’s growth depends on the ability to create new knowledge and put it into practice. It is important that the solutions developed by researchers and entrepreneurs do not remain merely ideas but evolve into products and services capable of competing beyond Latvia’s borders. According to the Minister, this requires a strong intellectual property system and close cooperation between the state, science and entrepreneurship. Therefore, intellectual property protection is not merely a legal matter. It is an integral part of building Latvian economy and strengthening its competitiveness. In the Minister’s view, the institution’s new name reflects this significance much more clearly.
The current name of the Patent Office is historically associated with patents; however, the institution’s competencies are considerably broader. Its responsibilities include the registration of patents for inventions, including supplementary protection certificates for medicinal products and plant protection products, as well as trade marks, designs and semiconductor topographies. Since 1 December 2025, it has also served as the competent authority for the national stage of registration procedures concerning geographical indications for craft and industrial products. In addition, the Patent Office promotes public awareness and understanding of intellectual property, provides information and support to entrepreneurs and the research community, and represents Latvia in the European and international intellectual property system.
Director of the Patent Office Agris Batalauskis notes that patents are and will remain an important part of the institution’s work, but that the scope of the Patent Office’s activities is much broader. The new name more accurately reflects both what the institution is and what it does. He explains that the true value of intellectual property reveals itself when knowledge and innovation are not only protected but also used to create new products and services, support business growth and attract investment. For this reason, the institution aims not only to be a professional registration authority, but also a knowledgeable and trusted partner within the innovation ecosystem of Latvia.
The change of name also shows the institution’s future direction of development. While ensuring a high-quality and reliable system for the protection of industrial property rights, cooperation with entrepreneurs, the research community and other participants in the innovation ecosystem is becoming increasingly important. The institution aims to strengthen the link between intellectual property protection, the commercialisation of innovations, and business growth. The need for closer connection between intellectual property and innovation policy, as well as coordinated cooperation among the relevant authorities, was also highlighted in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s assessment of the intellectual property system of Latvia.
Latvia is taking this step in parallel with the other Baltic States. In 2026, all three Baltic patent offices decided to change their names in order to more accurately reflect the role and scope of modern intellectual property institutions.
The name change is one of the key steps in the Patent Office’s next phase of development. The institution is currently preparing its 2027–2030 strategy, which will set out its priorities for the coming four years. As the Latvian Intellectual Property Office, while retaining its core responsibility for the national industrial property rights system, the institution will seek to make a greater practical contribution to the development of innovation, entrepreneurship and the knowledge-based economy.