Country Profile: Georgia

General Information
Georgia

Area:

  • total: 69,700 sq km
  • country comparison to the world: 120
  • land: 69,700 sq km
  • water: 0 sq km

Population:

  • 4,585,874 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure (2011 est.):

  • 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 383,856/female 333,617)
  • 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 1,511,844/female 1,620,727)
  • 65 years and over: 16% (male 293,143/female 442,687) (2011 est.)

Urbanization (2010-15 est.):

  • urban population: 53% of total population (2010)
  • rate of urbanization: -0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Languages (1999 census):

  • Georgian (official) 71%
  • Russian 9%
  • Armenian 7%
  • Azeri 6%
  • other 7%

note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Laws

Main IP Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

  • Law of Georgia for the Protection of New Breeds of Animals
  • Law of Georgia on Design (2010)
  • Law of Georgia on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (2010)
  • Law on Permission for Distribution of Agricultural Crop Varieties, Seeds and Planting Materials (1999)
  • Law on Border Measures Related to Intellectual Property (1999)
  • Law on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods (1999)
  • Law on Topographies of Integrated Circuits (1999)
  • Law on Trademarks (1999)
  • Law on Protection of Selected Achievements (1996)

IP-related Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

  • Administrative Procedures Code of Georgia (2000)
  • Criminal Code (2000)
  • Law on State Secrets (1999)
  • Civil Code (1997)

Implementing Rules/Regulations

  • Resolution of the Government of Georgia No. 262 Of August 25, 2010, Tbilisi On Approval of Instruction on Design Registration (2010)
  • Resolution of the Government of Georgia No. 182 of July 3, 2010 Tbilisi on Approval of Fees for the Service Related with Patenting, Registration and Deposition of Intellectual Property Subject-Matters (2010)

IP Legal Literature

  • Comments on the Legislation of Georgia in the Field of Intellectual Property Protection

Treaty Membership

WIPO-Administered Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Micro-organisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (September 30, 2005)
  • Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration (September 23, 2004)
  • Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (August 14, 2004)
  • Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (August 1, 2003)
  • Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (February 28, 2003)
  • WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (May 20, 2002)
  • WIPO Copyright Treaty (March 6, 2002)
  • Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (August 20, 1998)
  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (May 16, 1995)
  • Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (December 25, 1991)
  • Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (December 25, 1991)
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (December 25, 1991)

IP-related Multilateral Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
  • London Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes
  • Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (December 13, 2010)
  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (February 2, 2009)
  • International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) (November 29, 2008)
  • Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 2005 (October 1, 2008)
  • Protocol (III) additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the adoption of an additional distinctive emblem (September 19, 2007)
  • International Plant Protection Convention (March 8, 2007)
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (January 2, 2007)
  • WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (May 15, 2006)
  • Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (February 16, 2005)
  • Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (October 30, 2001)
  • Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) (June 14, 2000)
  • World Trade Organization (WTO) - Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) (1994) (June 14, 2000)
  • International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (September 2, 1999)
  • Convention and Statute on Freedom of Transit (August 31, 1999)
  • Convention on Transit Trade of Land-locked States (July 2, 1999)
  • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (April 20, 1996)
  • United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (September 1, 1995)
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (October 27, 1994)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (August 31, 1994)
  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (August 3, 1994)
  • Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. (March 14, 1994)
  • Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. (March 14, 1994)
  • Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. (March 14, 1994)
  • Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. (March 14, 1994)
  • Protocol (II) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. (March 14, 1994)
  • Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (April 9, 1991)
  • Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (April 9, 1991)
  • Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (April 9, 1991)

IP Regional Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPO)
  • Agreement on mutual preservation of inter-state secrets in the area of legal protection of Inventions (January 31, 2000)
  • Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - Agreement on Measures for the Prevention and Repression of the Use of False Trademarks and Geographical Indications (of June 4, 1999) (June 4, 1999)
  • Agreement on Cooperation in the Repression of Offenses in the Field of Intellectual Property (January 19, 1999)
  • Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Protection of Copyright and Neighboring Rights (May 6, 1995)

IP-relevant Bilateral Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement between Switzerland and Georgia (January 1, 2001)
  • Agreement between Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Government of Georgia in the field of Industrial Property protection (May 28, 1996)
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