Intellectual property protection of key importance for economic  development and investment environment - premier 

ArmInfo.During 2021-2023, the number of applications for registration of trademarks received under the  national procedure, as well as the number of international applications for registration of trademarks received under the international procedure (Madrid system), increased, according to a report presented to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Economy during a discussion of the report on the department's activities for 2023.

The head of the Intellectual Property Office, Kristine Hambaryan,  made a presentation, presenting the main functions of the department:  receiving applications and examining industrial property objects,  state registration, issuing patents and certificates and maintaining  state registers of these objects, registration of franchising,  licensing agreements and agreements on the transfer of rights. The  head of the department noted that the powers of protection belong to  the copyright holder and the state at the same time. "The state  creates mechanisms, and the copyright holder must be knowledgeable  enough to know his rights and contact the appropriate authorities. We  have a unit in the police that also deals with intellectual property  violations. We have a register at the customs authority, where, for  example, copyright holders register their trademarks, we are talking  about foreign companies, if a product is imported under this name,  the customs officer is obliged to stop this product and contact the  copyright holder to check whether this product is imported legally or  not, and within the country the police and courts deal with this  matter," said the head of the Intellectual Property Office. Kristine  Hambaryan reported that from May 17, 2023, the electronic system for  receiving applications has introduced the ability to submit  application materials for inventions and industrial designs using 3D  models. This makes it possible to submit applications using 3D  models.

In the reporting year, the Intellectual Property Office joined the  national identification system "Yes em".  The digitization of  applications for registration of intellectual property objects and  documents related to their administration continues. It was noted  that the department collects a state fee for the services it  provides, for activities related to the legal protection of  intellectual property, in accordance with the Law "On State Duty".  The volume of duties collected last year amounted to 687.5 million  drams, compared to 614 million drams in 2022. It was also noted that  other financial revenues to the Armenian budget go to the office for  the examination of international applications. Prime Minister  Pashinyan recalled that the state requires income tax from singers  and other representatives of show business and this policy should be  expanded. At the same time, Nikol Pashinyan added that this also  causes a certain dissatisfaction, and in this sense, the state should  provide an additional source for the same singers, requiring  restaurants to maintain copyright in accordance with the law and pay  the author the appropriate fee for the music played there.

"It's really about class and the level of the country," the prime  minister said. It was also noted that the office deepened and  strengthened cooperation with the World Intellectual Property  Organization (WIPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office  (EUIPO), the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO), offices of foreign  countries, and also took part in international conferences, meetings  and workshops -classes, seminars, working meetings.

The problems existing in the field of intellectual property were  touched upon, and proposals for their possible solution were  presented.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the  department's consistent work on registering geographical names and  instructed, together with international partners, to develop an  appropriate strategy for the development of the industry.