Country Profile: Georgia

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)