Country Profile: Latvia

Laws

Constitution / Basic Law

• The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (2007)

Main IP Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

• Plant Varieties Protection Law (2010)
• Patent Law (2007)
• Law on Designs (Vēstnesis, 17.11.2004, Nr. 183), adopted 28 October 2004, as amended and consolidated 8 February 2007 (2007)
• Law on Industrial Designs Protection (2007)
• Copyright Law (2007)
• Law on Trademarks and Indications of Geographical Origin (2007)
• Civil Procedures Law of October 14, 1998 (2007)
• Law on Protection of Topographies of Semiconductor Products (2007)
• Regulations on Registration of a Design Model Certificate (2005)
• Excerpt of the Law on Competition of 18 June 1997 (1997)

IP-related Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

• Commercial Law (2010)
• Criminal Procedure Law (2009)
• Criminal Law (2009)

Implementing Rules/Regulations

• Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No.126 Riga, February 10, 2009 (No. 11 Issued 30th §), agricultural and food products in the registration of geographical indications and protection order (2009)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No.339, Riga, May 19, 2008 (No. 31 Issued 27th §), Regulations on state charges of topographies of semiconductor products legal protection (2008)
• Cabinet of Ministers No. 224, Riga 2008. On the first April (Issued No. 21 13th §), Patents and patent application rules Issued under the Patent Law, 27th second paragraph, 28th The seventh paragraph, p.32. the first paragraph, 36. the first paragraph, 37th second paragraph, p.38. fourth paragraph, paragraph 47. third paragraph, 51st the fifth paragraph and 71st second paragraph (2008)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No. 225, Riga, April 1, 2008 (minutes No.21 14th §), Regulations on state charges of trademark legal protection (2008)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No.824, Riga, 4 December 2007 (minutes No. 68 of 13th §) Regulations on Fees for legal protection of inventions (2007)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No. 602 Riga, September 4, 2007 (Order No. 49 23rd §), The rules of professional patent registry content, record-keeping procedures and patent attorney qualification exam procedures Issued under the Patent Law, 26, third paragraph and fourth paragraph of Item 4 (2007)
• The Cabinet of Ministers Nr.565, Riga, August 21, 2007 (Order No. 46 23rd §). Procedure of calculation, paid and distributed compensation for public lending Issued under the copyright law 19.1, the second paragraph (2007)
• Provisions of the Patent Office's charge service fees of the Law on Budget and Financial Management 5, Part Nine (2005)
• State Fees for Legal Protection of Industrial Designs, Excerpt from Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers, 28 June 2005 (2005)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No. 228 Riga, 5 April 2005 (minutes No. 17 13th §), The rules on trade mark registration procedures for model forms (2005)
• The Cabinet of Ministers No. 952, Riga, November 23, 2004 (minutes No.67 51st §) Patent Office Rules Issued under the State Administration Law, 16, Part (2004)
• Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 43 of 2 February 1999 regarding Customs Control Measures to Ensure Protection of Intellectual Property (1999)
• Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 312 of October 31, 1995 on Film Distribution and Public Exhibition (1995)

Treaty Membership

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

• Patent Law Treaty (June 12, 2010)
• Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (March 16, 2009)
• Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (July 26, 2005)
• Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs (April 14, 2005)
• 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 (January 5, 2000)
• Trademark Law Treaty (December 28, 1999)
• Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (August 20, 1999)
• Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (August 23, 1997)
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (August 11, 1995)
• Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (January 1, 1995)
• Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (January 1, 1995)
• Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Micro-organisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (December 29, 1994)
• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (September 7, 1993)
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (September 7, 1993)
• Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (January 21, 1993)

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

• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (September 30, 2010)
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (March 31, 2010)
• 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 (October 8, 2009)
• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 2005 (October 6, 2007)
• Protocol (III) additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the adoption of an additional distinctive emblem (October 2, 2007)
• International Plant Protection Convention (October 2, 2005)
• London Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (August 4, 2005)
• WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (May 11, 2005)
• Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (February 16, 2005)
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (January 26, 2005)
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (January 22, 2005)
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (August 25, 2004)
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (May 13, 2004)
• Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (March 19, 2004)
• Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (March 19, 2004)
• International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (March 18, 2004)
• Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (September 12, 2002)
• International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) (August 30, 2002)
• Protocol to the Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific or Cultural Materials (May 20, 2002)
• Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (November 20, 2001)
• Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (February 3, 2000)
• Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) (February 10, 1999)
• World Trade Organization (WTO) - Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) (1994) (February 10, 1999)
• United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (August 1, 1998)
• Helsinki Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (March 10, 1997)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (March 13, 1996)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (June 21, 1995)
• Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (April 10, 1995)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (July 14, 1992)
• Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. (June 24, 1992)
• Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. (June 24, 1992)
• Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. (June 24, 1992)
• Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. (June 24, 1992)
• Protocol (II) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. (June 24, 1992)
• Convention and Statute on Freedom of Transit (December 28, 1923)

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

• Convention on the Grant of European Patents (EPO) (July 1, 2005)

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

• Agreement between the State Patent Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia on exchange of information in the field of protection of industrial property rights (October 6, 2008)