On June 8, 2011 representatives of UK intellectual property Office visited State intellectual property Service of Ukraine (State Service) for the exchange of experience and establishing contact with Ukrainian colleagues.
This meeting was initiated by British side being represented by Adam Williams, Head of Directorate for International Cooperation in the sphere of copyright and Enforcement and Anna de Miguel, Counselor on Political Affairs of International Politics Directorate.
State Service was represented by Olena Shcherbakova, Head of the Division of European Integration and International Cooperation, Iryna Vasylenko, Head of the industrial property Legal Provision Division, Inna Shatova, Head of the Judicial Protection of Rights Division, Oleh Humeniuk, Head of the copyright and Related Rights Division, Olha Horobets, Head of the Division of State Registration, Economy and Information Support. Besides, among the representatives of State Enterprise “Ukrainian industrial property Institute” were Vasyl Bannikov, Head of the Division of Application Examination for trademarks, Service Marks and Industrial Designs, and Fedir Lutsenko, Deputy Head of the Division of Application Examination for Inventions, Utility Models and Integrated Circuits Topographies.
Olena Shcherbakova thanked British colleagues for the visit and highlighted in brief current state of the system for intellectual property protection. Besides, she told the history and development of the system, outlined its structure and functions of specific divisions, explained the essence of administrative reform which recently affected the state system of IP protection, and familiarized the guests with national legislation in the sphere of IP protection. “During the last ten years the modern regulatory framework has been elaborated in Ukraine which allows effective regulation of legal relationships in this sphere. Nevertheless, its improvement and harmonization with the norms of international legislation, and adaptation to the UN standards in particular, are yet in process,” – noted Olena Shcherbakova.
To conclude the presentation she outlined a set of priority tasks of the state system for the IP protection for the near future. According to her, apart from the abovementioned adaptation of national legislation to the European norms it also comprises implementation of electronic application filing system for all the industrial property objects using electronic signature; launch of digital library allowing users to access the information resources via the Internet; strengthening of cooperation with European Commission and UN countries for the purpose of improvement of the education system in the sphere of IP in particular; effective administrative and judicial protection of rights for the results of intellectual activity, and implementation of alternative (extrajudicial) methods of dispute settlement in the IP sphere.
Adam Williams in his turn outlined the principal objectives and activities of UK intellectual property Office and assured Ukrainian colleagues in their interest for the further cooperation with Ukraine in the sphere of IP rights protection and enforcement. “United Kingdom as a member of European Community provides financial support for all the international programs in which Ukraine participates as well. But on my opinion in some cases bilateral cooperation may be more beneficial. We ought to exchange experience and ideas concerning the current problems and account for the mutual requests,” – said Adam Williams. He informed Ukrainian colleagues that all the UK services involved into the IP protection are united in one organization and their activity concerns predominantly business, trade and international relations in the sphere of IP protection. “I suppose you are aware of the new UN strategy for the intellectual property protection till the year 2020. Our Office adheres actively to the implementation of the aforementioned strategy into life. One of the principal directions of our work is granting of licenses for collective management of copyright and related rights on the common UN market. At present, intellectual property protection in United Kingdom is performed by independent non-governmental organizations. Such order is assigned by law. Thus, we would like to inquiry what is the situation with the collective management of copyright in your country. Which organizations are involved into collective management and how many are there of them in Ukraine?”, – asked Adam Williams.
Oleh Humeniuk, Head of the copyright and Related Rights Division informed representatives of the UK Office that currently there are sixteen organizations on collective management in Ukraine, all of them being nongovernmental except for State Enterprise “Ukrainian Agency on copyright and Related Rights”. Accordingly, users conclude the agreements with the abovementioned organizations. “Today the amendments to the legislation are being elaborated, their principal objective being harmonization with the UN norms, creation of effective mechanism of charges for copyright and related rights objects usage, solution of the issues relating to the effective protection of copyright and related rights in the Internet”, - said Oleh Humeniuk.
Adam Williams notified that protection of intellectual property in the Internet is a serious concern for Great Britain as well. “Though in United Kingdom there is a specific law concerning the Internet and communications which regulates protection of copyright, trademarks and original design, yet we still rely on voluntary services in combating piracy. I guess that solution of this problem is a very point on which we can cooperate successfully”, - emphasized he.
In the course of further communication issues concerning protection of trade secret in both countries were discussed, as well as problems related to joint projects financing and possibilities for holding co-operative seminars. Guests promised to carefully examine the pressing problems of Ukrainian colleagues, the former in their turn having expressed the gratitude and eagerness to apply the propositions voiced by the representatives of UK Office. Participants also exchanged their opinions concerning implementation in Ukraine of international provisions on intellectual property legal protection in the context of negotiations and anticipated agreement signing on Free Trade Area between Ukraine and European Union.
To conclude the meeting Olena Shcherbakova invited colleagues to participate in the XVIII International Scientific Conference “Actual Problematic Issues of intellectual property” which will be held in Yalta in September. “Today’s meeting initiated a good start of our dialogue. I am persuaded that gradually we will come up to the bilateral agreement signing between our offices concerning specific actions to take and I hope for our nearest next meeting”, - resumed she.