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.
