The EAPO delegation led by EAPO President S. Tlevlessova took part in the General Assembly sessions of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Photo by WIPO. Source

EAPO President Saule Tlevlessova and WIPO Director General Dr. Francis Gurry discussed the main results of EAPO performance in 2016-2017 during their meeting in the course of WIPO Assemblies. Dr. Gurry gave his high appreciation to EAPO participation in the accelerated patent examination pilot programmes (Patent Prosecution Highway) with the European Patent Office and the State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R. China.

Further EAPO-WIPO cooperation development matters were discussed at the EAPO delegation working meetings with:

− Mr. Marcelo Di Pietro, Director, WIPO Development Sector, Office of the Deputy Director General, and Mr. Bajoe Wibowo, WIPO-Match Project manager, Office of the Deputy Director General. The EAPO delegation was familiarized with the WIPO projects on technical support provided to WIPO member states, among others, through WIPO-Match online platform, which is to establish contacts between potential consumers and providers of intellectual property resources. The parties discussed the possible participation of EAPO in the WIPO-Match affiliate programs;

− Mr. Gregoire Bisson, Director, the Hague Registry, Brands and Designs Sector and Ms. Päivi Lähdesmäki, Head, Hague Development and Promotion Section, The Hague Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, who reaffirmed their readiness to cooperate and support the realization of the EAPO initiative of creation of Eurasian system for industrial design rights protection, among others, by organizing seminars, providing information and IT support;

− Mr. Marko Aleman, Director, Patent Law Division, Patents and Technologies Sector, where the topic of the discussion was, among others, delivery of lectures by specialists of Patent Law Division in the EAPO trainings for examiners from national offices of EAPC member states;

− the staff of the Department for Transition and Developed Countries, where the parties discussed matters of further cooperation towards joint organization of events in 2018, including the next EAPO Administrative Council session to be held in the Republic of Tajikistan, organization of regional seminars in the Azerbaijan Republic and Republic of Tajikistan.

During her visit EAPO President also met with the delegation of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), represented by OAPI Director General Denis L. Bohoussou, heading the delegation. EAPO President Ms. Tlevlessova congratulated Mr. Denis L. Bohoussou upon his taking over the post of OAPI General Director. Both Parties expressed interest in enhancement of bilateral cooperation, including studying the OAPI experience in providing regional protection of industrial design rights.

At the EAPO delegation meeting with Mr. Javier Moreno Ramos, Head of Service – International Cooperation, International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Department of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) the parties agreed on development of bilateral cooperation between the Offices. The matters discussed included, among others, the ways of interoffice cooperation, studying the EUIPO experience in provision of regional protection of industrial design rights, IT support to EAPO, including providing for access to EUIPO databases for the industrial design examination purposes.

EAPO President Tlevlessova as well had bilateral meetings with heads of IP organizations, EAPC member states’ and other national offices, among them:

− World Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Association President Ms. Han Mi-Young, where the two presidents discussed the perspectives of cooperation between the two organizations in 2018 and the results of collaboration in the course of this year;

− the delegation of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (SAKPATENTI) headed by SAKPATENTI Chairman Mr. Nikoloz Gogilidze. The parties agreed on EAPO delegation visit to SAKPATENTI in November 2017;

− the Ukrainian delegation representatives Mr. Mikhail Titarchuk, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Mr. Andrew Kudin, General Director, Ukrainian Intellectual Property Institute. The parties discussed possible the perspectives of mutual cooperation.