INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

The Eurasian Patent Office’s active collaboration with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) made it possible in 2021 to complete all the formalities required to support the appointment of the office as an ISA/IPEA and to sign the appropriate agreement with WIPO.

In order to organize Eurasian Patent Office activity with industrial designs in the most effective practical way, contacts with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the largest regional office working with this industrial property subject matter, were expanded.

In addition, cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) was enhanced, communication with the professional community was expanded in connection with the launch of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register, and work aimed at increasing young people’s interest in intellectual property issues was intensified in the reporting year.

Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic continued to influence the Eurasian Patent Office’s international cooperation in 2021, the reporting year was marked by a trend towards an increase in the number of events and a gradual return to the use of face-to-face and hybrid communication formats. Compared to 2020, the number of international events the Eurasian Patent Office participated in increased by about 10 per cent.

Overall in 2021, Eurasian Patent Office professionals participated in 103 international cooperation events, with 30 of those involving the participation of the President of the Eurasian Patent Office.

COOPERATION WITH STATES PARTY TO THE EURASIAN PATENT CONVENTION (EAPC)

Creation of a Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs

The year 2021 was marked by a very important event in the area of cooperation between the member states of the EAPO aimed at expanding the organization’s competencies to cover industrial designs. On March 17, 2021, the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs to the EAPC entered into force. The Protocol was adopted on September 9, 2019 at a diplomatic conference in Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan. In accordance with the notification of the depositary – the Director General of the WIPO – and Article 22(4) of the Protocol, this international treaty entered into force with respect to the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Armenia, whose instruments of ratification were deposited at the end of 2020.

On January 11–12, 2021, representatives of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan presented their respective countries’ instruments of ratification of the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs to the Director General of the WIPO. Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova participated in the deposit ceremonies held at the WIPO headquarters. In respect of these countries, the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs entered into force three months after the deposit dates: in respect of the Russian Federation, on April 11, 2021; in respect of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on April 12, 2021.

With respect to the Republic of Tajikistan, whose ratification instrument was deposited with the Director General of the WIPO on August 30, 2021, the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs entered into force on November 30, 2021.

The entry into force of the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs has allowed the Eurasian Patent Office and the EAPO member states to move on to the creation of the legal, organizational and other necessary prerequisites for work with Eurasian industrial designs.

On April 12, 2021, at its thirty-seventh (tenth extraordinary) meeting, the EAPO Administrative Council adopted the EAPO’s regulatory legal acts detailing the Protocol and defining the substantive and procedural rules of law, the amount and procedure for payment of fees in respect of industrial designs, and also set the start date for the receipt of applications by the Eurasian Patent Office for the grant of Eurasian industrial design patents.

On June 1, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office, in accordance with the decision of the EAPO Administrative Council, began the receipt of Eurasian industrial design applications. On this day, a solemn ceremony was held at the EAPO headquarters symbolizing the launch of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs, and the first Eurasian application for an industrial design was filed.

On June 2, 2021, EAPO President Saule Tlevlessova awarded the first certificates of registration as Eurasian patent attorneys specializing in industrial designs.

In the reporting year, the Eurasian Patent Office continued to study the practice of the examination of industrial designs in the European Union’s industrial design registration system, which is the leading regional system working with this industrial property subject matter.

On June 17–18, 2021, during a joint webinar held by the Eurasian Patent Office and the EUIPO, representatives of the Eurasian Patent Office and the national IP offices of the EAPO member states specializing in industrial design application examination were familiarized with the European office’s approach.

Since the launch of its direct work with Eurasian industrial design applications, the Eurasian Patent Office has informed a wide range of potential users about the benefits of the new Eurasian system and the particularities of the regional procedure for patenting industrial designs.

On June 29, 2021, the new Eurasian system was presented at a webinar organized jointly by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Commission.

On September 29–30, 2021, at the “Patent Law: New Realities” scholarly session of the XXV Rospatent International Conference “Building IP Ecosystem”, held in Moscow, Russian Federation in a hybrid format, participants were introduced to the distinctive features of the Eurasian procedure for patenting industrial designs and received recommendations on how to avoid common errors when drafting and filing applications for this industrial property subject matter.

On November 24–25, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office’s current practice with industrial designs was explained in detail at a regional seminar organized by the Eurasian Patent Office and the EEC for business representatives, patent attorneys, and employees of the IP offices of the EAPO member states.

On November 24, 2021, during the annual “Topical Issues of Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” research and practical conference organized by the interregional public association for the promotion of the activity of patent attorneys “Chamber of Patent Attorneys” (Russian Federation) in a hybrid format, a representative of the Eurasian Patent Office familiarized patent attorneys from the EAPO member states with the details of the Eurasian procedure for patenting industrial designs in comparison with the procedures established by the legislation of the EAPO member states.

On October 28, 2021, a ceremony for the granting of the first Eurasian industrial design patent was held in Moscow, Russian Federation. The owner of this patent is the Russian Federation, represented by the State Space Corporation Roscosmos. In a solemn ceremony, the Eurasian Patent Office President presented the patent certificate to Acting Director General of Roscosmos Maksim Ovchinnikov.

Bilateral meetings of the Eurasian Patent Office President on inter-agency cooperation and the development of the EAPO

On June 22, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office President met with Kazakhstani parliamentarians in Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan. Saule Tlevlessova gave an address at a meeting of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Mazhilis), with the participation of representatives of other state bodies, international organizations, and the business community. The meeting focused on the improvement of legislation on the protection of intellectual property rights. The Eurasian Patent Office President’s speech concerned the participation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the EAPO, including in the creation of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs.

On May 17, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office held an expanded meeting with the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) at the EAPO headquarters. The meeting was attended by Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova, head of Rospatent Grigory Ivliev, and members of the delegations from the two offices.

At the meeting, attendees discussed a wide range of subjects related to the development of cooperation between the offices and the expansion of Eurasian integration in intellectual property. In particular, the parties discussed the launch of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs, the expansion of electronic exchange between the Eurasian Patent Office and Rospatent, the creation of registers of active pharmaceutical ingredients protected by patents, measures to stimulate patent activity in the region, and a number of other subjects. The meeting resulted in the reaching of agreements on strengthening bilateral contacts at the expert level, and a number of events were planned.

The Eurasian Patent Office President and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held several meetings in the reporting year

On April 14, 2021, as part of a Eurasian Patent Office visit to Turkmenistan, Saule Tlevlessova met with Wafa Khadzhiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The parties discussed the current development of the EAPO and Turkmenistan’s plans to join the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs.

On May 24, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova held a videoconference with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov dedicated to a wide range of subjects on cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EAPO.

Minister Meredov provided information on Turkmenistan’s activities on intellectual property, the country’s participation in key international treaties in this area, and the development of Turkmenistan’s national IP Office. The parties discussed the opportunities provided within the EAPO for the professional development of local intellectual property staff and the promotion of intellectual property institutions in Turkmenistan.

The state of affairs on Turkmenistan’s accession to the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs was a separate subject for discussion. On this subject, Saule Tlevlessova mentioned the opportunities and benefits in this area that will open to applicants from Turkmenistan, the positive impact on the development of the economy and trade, as well as the financial aspects of participation in the new regional system. At the end of the meeting, a webinar on the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs was held for interested state organizations from Turkmenistan.

Following the meeting, the parties evaluated the level of relations between the EAPO and Turkmenistan highly and agreed on further development.

On October 4–8, 2021, at the WIPO headquarters, on the sidelines of the sixty-second series of meetings of the Assemblies of the WIPO Member States, the Eurasian Patent Office President met with the delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic, headed by Director of the State Agency of Intellectual Property and Innovation under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent) Rakhat Kerimbayeva, and with the delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, headed by Vice Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akerke Akhmetova. The parties discussed the current state of affairs in bilateral cooperation during the meetings.

Bilateral cooperation on the use of EAPO information resources and exchange of experience

In the reporting year, the Eurasian Patent Office’s cooperation with the national IP offices of the EAPO member states on the use of the Eurasian Patent Information System (EAPATIS) and the Eurasian Office automated system for electronic filing and electronic exchange (EAPO-ONLINE) expanded.

On February 11, 2021, during a visit to Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and Director of the National Institute of Intellectual Property (NIIS) of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerbol Ospanov signed a new, updated agreement on cooperation within EAPATIS aimed at improving the efficiency of use of the system by Kazakh users and improving further communication between the parties on the inclusion of the patent information contained in national patent documents of Kazakhstan in EAPATIS.

On September 17, 2021, NIIS employees benefited from the Eurasian Patent Office’s “Requirements on the procedure for forwarding Eurasian industrial design applications and working with the EAPO-ONLINE platform” training webinar, which presented in detail the procedure for electronically sending materials related to Eurasian industrial design applications, as well as the implementation of respective functions in the EAPO-ONLINE.

Cooperation with the National Center of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Belarus aimed at the transition to fully electronic document management for Eurasian applications continued in the reporting year.

On February 18 and March 19, 2021, during a video meeting, representatives of the Eurasian Patent Office and the NCIP demonstrated the capabilities of the EAPO-ONLINE and discussed legal, organizational and technical issues related to the start of electronic exchange of documents on Eurasian applications submitted by Belarusian applicants through the NCIP. The offices developed a draft of a relevant agreement as a result of the meeting.

On May 20, 2021, in Veliky Novgorod, Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the International Assembly of Young Inventors of the Countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and NCIP Director General Uladzimir Rabavolau signed the agreement on the electronic exchange of documents on Eurasian patent applications and Eurasian patents. The Belarusian side began to use the EAPO-ONLINE system in June 2021 on the basis of this agreement. The parties also signed an agreement on the use of the Eurasian Patent Information System (EAPATIS) aimed at updating agreements previously concluded by the offices on the formation of EAPATIS databases and the use of the patent information contained in the system.

A new stage of communication on the expansion of electronic document management with Rospatent began in the reporting year.

In May 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office and Rospatent held several bilateral meetings at which further practical steps were discussed to switch to fully electronic exchange for Eurasian applications submitted by Russian applicants through Rospatent, together with possibilities to improve existing electronic exchange procedures in patent search. Functionality testing of EAPO-ONLINE and training of employees who send materials to the EAPO were organized for the Russian side.

On June 25, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and head of Rospatent Grigory Ivliev signed an agreement on the electronic exchange of documents on Eurasian patent applications and Eurasian patents. On the basis of this agreement, the offices switched to fully electronic communication on both inventions and industrial designs. Subsequent working contacts of the parties in the reporting year involved discussions of the possibility of electronic communication based on the direct integration of the internal information systems of the offices with the use of machine interfaces and modern data presentation standards.

The year 2021 saw the further advancement of professional contacts with Kyrgyzpatent on the exchange of experience on the administration of patent procedures.

On February 12, 2021, Kyrgyzpatent specialists benefited from consultations held in videoconference mode, during which participants reviewed the procedures and work processes of the Eurasian Patent Office related to the registration and granting of Eurasian patents and the Eurasian Patent Office’s practice on the maintenance of Eurasian patents and the upkeep of the register, preparations for the publication of patent materials, and their further publication in electronic form.

Cooperation with Rospatent on the convergence of approaches in patent search and the examination of applications for inventions continued in the reporting year.

On May 24, 2021, representatives of examination divisions of the Eurasian Patent Office and Rospatent held a videoconference meeting, where they discussed the two offices’ approaches in patent search and examination in several technological fields. After the meeting, discussion of the examiners’ work practices continued in the form of working contacts.

On June 25, 2021, dialogue between the two offices on examination continued at a face-to-face meeting with the participation of the heads of the Eurasian Patent Office and Rospatent, as well as the heads of the relevant examination divisions.

This communication resulted in the parties’ identifying areas of technology in which there are differences between the Eurasian Patent Office’s and Rospatent’s approaches to the examination of applications for inventions and their agreement on further steps aimed at bringing the practices of the two offices closer.

Organization of regional events

The Eurasian Patent Office held three regional events in the reporting year for representatives of the EAPO member states on the legal protection of inventions and industrial designs.

On March 16–18, 2021, online training was conducted with the participation of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS), Russian Federation, and the law firm Gorodissky and Partners. This training focused on the particularities of the examination of computer-implemented inventions, including inventions in artificial intelligence. Examiners from national IP offices and representatives of technoparks and innovation centers from all EAPO member states took part in these training events.

The training included lectures and practical modules familiarizing trainees with the Eurasian Patent Office’s approaches to the patent classification of computer-implemented inventions and to conducting patent search and substantive examination of Eurasian applications in this field, and also with FIPS practice related to the legal protection of such inventions. Particular attention was paid to the specifics of patenting inventions in artificial intelligence.

As part of the training, law firm Gorodissky and Partners held a round-table conference on the topic “An integrated approach to the legal protection of hardware and software solutions”, which highlighted problematic issues involved in patenting these subject matters, foreign patenting of inventions, and issues securing relations between developers and potential rights owners of industrial property created by employees and the disposal of these rights.

On June 17–18, 2021, a joint webinar was held with the EUIPO focused on the exchange of best practices for industrial design examiners. More than 50 examiners specializing in the examination of industrial design applications from the national IP offices of all EAPO member states and from the Eurasian Patent Office attended the webinar.

The most relevant aspects of the EUIPO’s work with industrial designs were presented: the procedure for the examination of design applications, tools for classification, new types of industrial designs (graphical interfaces, virtual industrial designs, etc.), and the harmonization of the approaches of the European Union countries in terms of the formal requirements for applications. A separate session of the webinar focused on the issues of the registrability of industrial designs and the procedure for challenging registration, law enforcement practice, and the decisions of appeal bodies.

On November 24–25, 2021, the first regional seminar on the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs was held in cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission. More than 200 participants from all EAPO member states joined the videoconference event: national IP offices, national and international law firms, patent attorneys, and specialists in patent work from state and business establishments.

During the regional seminar, a range of subjects was presented to the audience, from the history of the creation of the new Eurasian system to the Eurasian Patent Office’s current practice with industrial designs, including legal and procedural aspects of patenting, particularities of the drawing up of applications, and the relevant electronic resources and services of the Eurasian Patent Office. Representatives of the WIPO and EUIPO took part in the seminar. They explained the practice of the examination of industrial designs within the Hague and European systems.

Cooperation in education

One priority activity of the EAPO is the improvement of the professional level of specialists of the Eurasian Patent Office and the national IP offices of the Contracting States to the EAPC.

The Eurasian Patent Office organizes annual training for these experts in specialized educational institutions. This training is funded by the EAPO.

In 2021, due to the difficult epidemiological situation, training took place using distance learning. During the reporting period, 34 representatives of the national IP offices of all EAPC Contracting States underwent various forms of training.

At the Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property (RSAIP), in the “Intellectual property. Patenting” professional retraining program, 22 representatives of national IP offices were trained and received state diplomas: Republic of Armenia – 1 representative; Republic of Azerbaijan – 3 representatives; Republic of Belarus – 5 representatives; Republic of Kazakhstan – 2 representatives; Kyrgyz Republic – 3 representatives; Russian Federation – 3 representatives; Republic of Tajikistan – 3 representatives; Turkmenistan – 2 representatives.

Three specialists from the national IP offices of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation studied Jurisprudence at the graduate school of the RSAIP. Two specialists completed their studies in 2021 and received postgraduate diplomas with the “Researcher. Teacher-researcher” qualification.

At the Scientific and Educational Center of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, 2 specialists from the national IP office of the Republic of Kazakhstan and 4 Eurasian Patent Office examiners improved their qualifications in two training courses. The “Patent Search” course focused on examiners conducting patent search and the examination of inventions in various technological fields (chemistry, medicine, biotechnology, mechanics, electrophysics, computer technology). The “Legal protection of pharmaceutical inventions” course focused on examiners in pharmaceuticals and medicine and aimed at developing understanding of the legal aspects of the protection of inventions in medicine, methods of treatment and diagnosis, as well as the methodology of approaches to assessing the patentability of such inventions.

In 2021, 7 specialists from the national IP offices of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan improved their qualifications in information technology at the Moscow SoftLine Education training center in two specialized courses: “Fundamentals of Information Security” and “Attack Detection”. These courses are intended for employees of departments responsible for ensuring the security of computer networks.

In 2021, 7 Eurasian Patent Office representatives improved their professional qualifications at the ARGUS Center for Additional Professional Education and Consulting Services.

Special events, international fora, conferences

In 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office took part in a number of specialized and solemn events organized in the EAPO member states.

On April 22, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office representative gave a presentation in the “Intellectual Property Office of the Future” section of Rospatent’s “Digital Transformation: Intellectual Property and Trends of Artificial Intelligence” international conference, which was held as a videoconference. Attendees were presented with information on the use of artificial intelligence tools in the Eurasian Patent Office’s information systems, the main stages of the Eurasian Patent Office’s strategy for artificial intelligence and progress in their implementation, and promising areas in the application of artificial intelligence tools in the office’s activities.

On May 27, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office Vice-President Emil Mammadov gave an address at a solemn event marking the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Patent and Technical Library of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property.

On September 29–30, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office representatives gave a presentation at the XXV Rospatent International Conference “Building IP Ecosystem”, held in Moscow, Russian Federation, in a hybrid format. Participants attending the “Patent law: New Realities” scholarly session were informed of the results of EAPO activities on the development of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs and the distinctive features of the Eurasian procedure for patenting industrial designs. “The Requirement for Invention Unity: International and Foreign Context” panel discussion reviewed the approaches and practices of the Eurasian Patent Office in the application of the requirement for invention unity in accordance with Eurasian patent legislation.

On October 20, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova delivered a video message during the “Intellectual Property in the Modern World: Challenges of the Time and Prospects for Development” International Scientific and Practical Conference, organized by the State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus and the NCIP in Minsk, Republic of Belarus. Eurasian Patent Office President Tlevlessova noted the significant achievements of Belarus in the field of innovative development, the country’s success in the broad involvement of young people in inventive activity, and Belarus’ consistently high level of participation in the Eurasian patent system. The presentations section introduced conference participants to the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register.

On October 27, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office President participated in events dedicated to the opening of the first multifunctional state Innovation Center in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Speaking at the official opening of the Innovation Center organized by Kyrgyzpatent, the Eurasian Patent Office President stressed the importance of state support for innovation infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan, welcomed the opportunities provided by the new Innovation Center, spoke about the EAPO’s support for this initiative, and noted advanced projects of young inventors from Kyrgyzstan participating in the Eurasian Patent Universiade.

The “Development of the Ecosystem of Intellectual Property and Innovation in Kyrgyzstan” forum, organized by the Eurasian Patent Office and Kyrgyzpatent for representatives of business, the creative industries, inventors, and startups, was timed to coincide with the solemn event. The Eurasian Patent Office representative gave a presentation at one section of the forum, where he spoke about the benefits of the Eurasian patent system and outlined the Eurasian Patent Office’s information resources.

Promoting the Eurasian patent system

In the reporting year, V.I. Blinnikov Gold Medals “For Promoting Invention and Patent Practice” were awarded to the following people for their contributions to the development of inventive activity in the EAPO member states:

- Vladimir Nebolsin, General Director of Pharmenterprises limited liability company, the author of inventions claimed in more than 500 international, regional and national applications and patents, including inventions in 29 Eurasian applications in the field of pharmaceuticals. The award ceremony was held at Rospatent on June 25, 2021, Inventor and Innovator Day in the Russian Federation. The award was presented by Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova.

- Sukhbatjon Bakhriev, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Corresponding Member of the Engineering Academy of Tajikistan, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Natural History (Russian Federation), Senior researcher at the Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower Engineering and Ecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. The award ceremony took place on July 23, 2021 in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan, as part of the finale of the “Best Inventor of Tajikistan for 2019–2020” contest;

- Zhenishbek Turgumbayev, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the International Academy of Transport, Professor of the Department of Mechanics and Industrial Engineering of the I. Razzakov Kyrgyz State Technical University. The award was presented on October 27, 2021 in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic as part of the celebrations for the opening of the first Innovation Center in Kyrgyzstan. The honorary EAPO Medal was presented by Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova;

One highlight of 2021 in the promotion of intellectual property topics among young people was the International Assembly of Young Inventors of the Countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The Eurasian Patent Office was a co-organizer and information partner of the event.

On May 19–21, 2021, the Assembly was held in Veliky Novgorod, Russian Federation. Speaking at the opening of the forum, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova called on young inventors to be more active and bolder in voicing their ideas and presenting their technical solutions and noted the importance of state support for the younger generation’s interest in invention throughout the Eurasian region, stressing that the creation of an innovative economy requires a solid foundation and a certain kind of culture, nurtured from a very young age.

Participants in the Assembly – young inventors from the EAEU countries, winners of the “Advancing the Future” Eurasian Patent Universiade, the “School Patent – A Step into the Future” international children’s competition, and other national and international competitions – demonstrated their works at the exhibition of innovative projects and presented them in a special section. Representatives from all EAPO member states presented projects, either in person or remotely.

As part of the Assembly’s business program, Eurasian Patent Office representatives organized a section on the basics of inventive activity, where young inventors were instructed in the history of patent law, the basics of Eurasian patent legislation, and learned about professions related to inventive activity and intellectual property.

On May 20, 2021, on the sidelines of the Assembly, an award ceremony was held for the winners and prize-winners of the “Advancing the Future” Eurasian Patent Universiade who participated in this forum. Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova presented the awards and prizes.

Students of educational organizations aged 18 to 25 from all EAPO member states participated in the “Advancing the Future” Eurasian Patent Universiade dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the EAPO. The EAPO concluded the Universiade in March 2021 and winners were declared in two categories, physics and chemistry, with 11 Universiade prize-winners and 15 diploma winners.

Award ceremonies for the winners, prize-winners and Universiade diploma holders were held in a number of EAPO member states.

On June 11, 2021, an award ceremony was held in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. A Eurasian Patent Office representative participated in the event, which was organized by the National Center for Patents and Information of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On June 17, 2021, an award ceremony was held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. Eurasian Patent Office Vice President Emil Mammadov participated in this event, organized by the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On June 29, 2021 and August 9, 2021, award ceremonies were held in the Republic of Kazakhstan: at the Department of Justice of Karaganda Region and at the branch of the National Institute of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Almaty.

In keeping with a long-standing tradition, the Eurasian Patent Office also provided awards to encourage the creativity of young inventors participating in other international competitions.

On October 8–10, 2021, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Eurasian Patent Office awards were presented to the finalists of the 6th Korean International Youth Olympiad 4I, organized by the World Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Association (WWIEA). The winners in the team category and the creator of the prize-winning work in the “The Best of the Best Inventions” category were presented with awards.

On December 7, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office “Advancing the Future” medal was awarded to a finalist of the Patents Power 2021 biomedical startup competition, the project “Development of a therapeutic autologous dendritic cell-based vaccine for the treatment of malignant tumors” from Kazan Federal University.

In the reporting year, a meeting with representatives of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) and the agency’s subordinate Center for Assistance to Young Professionals (CSMS) outlined new areas of cooperation that contribute to increasing interest in intellectual property among young people.

On July 7, 2021, during a visit to the EAPO headquarters, representatives of Rosmolodezh and CSMS spoke about the activities of these organizations in the development of youth entrepreneurship, regional and international cooperation, ongoing projects, experience with international bilateral exchange, and the practice of communication with Russian and foreign public organizations. The meeting involved discussion of promising areas of cooperation, the consideration of possible near-term measures, and an agreement to continue contact at various levels.

On August 12, 2021, in accordance with agreements, Eurasian Patent Office representatives took part in an online event of the “Russian-Kazakhstani Business Accelerator” international educational project. At a special lecture session about the Eurasian patent system, Eurasian Patent Office examiners shared their experience with the particularities of patenting inventions under the Eurasian patent procedure and explained the normative legal acts regulating this procedure, the stages of the examination of patent applications, and the requirements for and approaches to assessing the patentability of solutions. In the practical part, Eurasian Patent Office representatives reviewed examples of Eurasian applications related to computer technologies, illustrating the approach to patenting technical solutions in this area.

Eurasian Patent Office examiners delivered lectures on the Eurasian patent system and the patenting of inventions under the Eurasian patent procedure as part of other educational projects in the field of intellectual property.

On July 6–7, 2021, participants in the WIPO Summer School in Sochi, Russian Federation learned about the main normative legal acts regulating the Eurasian procedure, the stages of the examination of patent applications, and the requirements for and approaches to assessing patentability. Eurasian Patent Office examiners also analyzed several examples of application examination in fields such as mechanics, chemistry, and medicine.

On November 17, 2021, participants in the Patents Power 2021 biomedical startup competition were informed of the features of the Eurasian system for patenting inventions during the “How to protect IP and attract investment in a project?” educational seminar, held as a videoconference.

In connection with the Eurasian Patent Office’s youth activities in 2021, the “Eurasian Patent Office – For Young Inventors” section was opened on the Eurasian Patent Office’s web portal. The section focuses on the office’s work on the popularization of inventive activity and intellectual property among schoolchildren and youth.

ACTIVITIES WITHIN REGIONAL BODIES IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

In the reporting year, the Eurasian Patent Office took part in a number of events held as part of regional projects and at intellectual property organizations.

On April 12, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office delegation took part in a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the project for the commercial-scale release of a regional patent information product for the CIS countries (the CISPATENT project). The event was held via teleconference. Meeting attendees heard and adopted a report on the results of the commercial-scale release of CISPATENT in 2020 and approved the actual cost and amount of work on the preparation and release of the product in 2020, as well as the planned cost and amount of work for its preparation and release in 2021.

On September 14, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office representatives participated in the 11th meeting of the Interstate Council on the Issues of Legal Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property (MGSIS), held in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.

Attendees of the meeting were presented with information on the state of affairs on the issues of the legal protection of intellectual property, the enforcement of corresponding rights, and measures taken during the reporting period to counteract offenses in this area in the member states of the EAPO and CIS, as well as information on the preparation and implementation of a number of programs and projects coordinated by MGSIS.

On September 27, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office delegation participated in the eleventh meeting of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property of the EEC Board, held via videoconference.

The meeting presented a report for 2020 on the state of law enforcement practice in the EAEU in the protection of intellectual property rights, reviewed progress in the coordination of approaches to combat violations of intellectual property rights on the Internet, and discussed problems related to electronic access to public intellectual property services in the EAEU member states and intellectual property rights in relation to used goods.

COMMUNICATION WITH BUSINESS CIRCLES AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The EAPO Pharmaceutical Register, a new information and search resource, opened on March 1, 2021. The Register has become one of the main topics of discussion in the communication between the Eurasian Patent Office and the professional community at both the regional and international levels.

On February 24, 2021, on the eve of the launch of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register, an international pharmaceutical industry delegation visited the EAPO headquarters. The delegation consisted of Vladimir Shipkov, Executive Director of the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM), Vadim Kukava, Executive Director of the Innovative Pharma Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (Inpharma), as well as representatives of AstraZeneca, Baker McKenzie and Gowling VLG (International) Inc. The Eurasian Patent Office President attended the meeting, which discussed the activities of the two pharmaceutical associations and the concept underlying the creation and use of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register.

On March 4, 2021, a demonstration of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register was held in a remote format for representatives from a number of corporate members of the Inpharma Association. The pharmaceutical business representatives received answers to questions concerning the content of and procedure for maintaining the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register and expressed their desires for its development and potential areas of application.

On October 15, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office participated in the “Intellectual property protection as an element of expanding the availability of innovative treatment” discussion session, which was chaired by AIPM as part of the XIII International Conference “What is happening in the pharmaceutical market?” The office representative informed the participants of the main features of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register as an information resource providing reliable and up-to-date information on existing patent rights in relation to active medicinal substances, as well as a mechanism to ensure a balance between the interests of patent owners and generic manufacturers in the Eurasian medicine market.

On March 3, 2021, the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register was discussed with representatives of another professional pharmaceutical association: the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of the Eurasian Economic Union (AFPEES). The remote meeting drew attendance from Chairman of the Board of AFPEES Stanislav Naumov and managers and representatives of Geropharm, NTFF POLISAN, Biocad, Active Component, Pharmstandard, HimRar, Petrovax and Signum Market Access. The AFPEES representatives expressed their gratitude to the Eurasian Patent Office for the creation of this information and search resource, noted its importance and relevance, and expressed their proposals for its development. The meeting ended with an agreement to continue bilateral cooperation in the development of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register, as well as to discuss problematic issues related to the granting of patent protection to pharmaceutical inventions.

The EAPO Pharmaceutical Register was also presented to the professional community during the “Intellectual Property: Protection Strategies” interactive discussion at the 12th Annual Eurasian Pharmaceutical Forum (March 2–4, 2021), at the “Topical issues of patent rights and intellectual property protection in the Russian pharmaceutical market” round table conference (April 22, 2021), at the meetings of the Committee for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry of the Russian public organization Business Russia (May 19 and October 20, 2021), and at the “Compliance with intellectual property rights as a guarantor of the availability of innovative medicines in the markets of the countries of the Eurasian region” session of the Eurasian Pharmaceutical Summit (October 12–13, 2021).

In 2021, given the high proportion of Eurasian applications received in medicine, the office continued to communicate with professional circles on issues related to the patenting of such inventions under the Eurasian patent procedure.

On February 24, 2021, a remote meeting of the heads and employees of Eurasian Patent Office examination divisions with representatives of the Gorodissky and Partners law firm focused on this topic. Meeting participants identified the main areas for the development of dialogue between the patent office and the professional community to increase the attractiveness of the Eurasian patent system and ensure high standards for patenting inventions in medicine, and they agreed on the procedure for further communication on this subject.

On June 23–25, 2021, the XXI Petersburg Collegial Readings – 2021 professional forum was held in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation by the St. Petersburg Board of Patent Attorneys. The Eurasian Patent Office representative’s report focused on current aspects of the examination of Eurasian patent applications in medicine and discussed topics connected with determining the patentability of inventions related to methods of treatment and the use of medicines.

The Eurasian Patent Office continued to participate in the discussion of issues in the context of a broad agenda related to the protection of drug developers’ intellectual rights.

On March 11, 2021, during the “Role and Importance of Intellectual Property in Pharma during the COVID Pandemic and Afterward. Balance Between the Future and Accessibility” discussion session of the XVI “Pharmaceutical Business in Russia – 2021” International Conference, a Eurasian Patent Office representative presented the office’s position on the legal and procedural issues connected with the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to allow the use of Eurasian patents related to the pharmaceutical product with the international non-proprietary name Remdesivir without the consent of the owner of the rights.

On June 22, 2021, on the sidelines of an off-site meeting of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Mazhilis), which was attended by representatives of state bodies of Kazakhstan, international organizations, and the business community, a Eurasian Patent Office representative gave a speech outlining the legal norms and law enforcement practice related to the limitation of exclusive rights to inventions, in particular, to pharmaceuticals.

On September 15, 2021, the “The Role of the Patent System in Solving Public Health Problems” regional seminar was held in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, organized by the State Agency for Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI) with the support and participation of international and regional organizations, including the Eurasian Patent Office. The seminar drew attendance from 60 representatives of professional circles and government agencies in the fields of intellectual property and healthcare from 9 Eurasian countries.

At the opening of the seminar, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova outlined problematic issues related to patenting and granting permission to use medicines protected by patents, which have become more acute since the beginning of the pandemic, and stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between the interests of drug developers and society. A Eurasian Patent Office representative also spoke at the seminar, presenting the legislative framework and law enforcement practice of the countries of the Eurasian region in relation to compulsory licensing.

In the reporting year, Eurasian Patent Office representatives spoke at events organized by the Russian branches of international intellectual property associations.

On June 8, 2021, at a remote session of the first Patent Congress held by the Russian National Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), Eurasian Patent Office examiners spoke about the office’s practices in the examination of applications in information and communication technologies and in pharmaceuticals.

On December 7, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office representative gave a presentation on the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs at the remote round-table “Industrial Designs in Progress” conference, organized by the National Group of the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI).

Eurasian Patent Office representatives also participated in the online sessions of the AIPPI 2021 World Congress, held in a remote format from October 15 to October 22, 2021. Among the issues discussed at the congress were the patenting of inventions in artificial intelligence, patenting in the banking sector, the limitation of patent owners’ rights during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges of the modern world for the PCT system, the development of procedures for the legal protection of industrial designs, and digitalization and the use of AI tools in patent offices.

The new area of EAPO activity on the launch of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs was also presented at specialized events with the participation of business representatives and professionals in intellectual property.

On November 24, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office representative spoke at the annual “Topical Issues of Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” scientific and practical conference, organized in a hybrid format by the Chamber of Patent Attorneys (Russian Federation). During the “General Legal issues of intellectual property” round-table conference, the Eurasian Patent Office representative presented the results of the ratification of the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs and the main normative legal acts adopted. The report paid special attention to issues of the Eurasian procedure for patenting industrial designs, as well as its particularities in comparison with the procedures established by the legislation of the EAPO member states.

On November 24–25, 2021, the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs was presented in detail at the Eurasian Patent Office’s regional seminar. More than 100 patent attorneys and business representatives attended the seminar.

COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)

Obtaining the status of an International Authority under the PCT system

One of the most important events of 2021 was the appointment of the Eurasian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), an international agreement administered by the WIPO.

On October 7, 2021, the appointment was considered at the fifty-third (twenty-third ordinary) session of the Assembly of the PCT Union, held at the WIPO headquarters as part of the 62nd series of meetings of the WIPO Member States Assemblies.

Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova delivered a statement, in which she spoke about the importance of this appointment for the EAPO and for applicants from all member states, and she gave a presentation about the region where the EAPO operates, outlining the achievements in education and great potential in terms of innovative development. The Eurasian Patent Office President thanked the industrial property offices of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation for their assistance in assessing the readiness of the Eurasian Patent Office to perform the functions of ISA and IPEA, expressed gratitude to the countries that submitted written statements supporting the Eurasian Patent Office’s appointment, and also showed appreciation to the management and staff of the WIPO for consultations on the appointment procedure.

During the speeches from the PCT member countries, the delegations from the Russian Federation, the Kingdom of Spain, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, and the Republic of Korea spoke in support of the appointment of the Eurasian Patent Office.

Upon consideration of the issue the Assembly of the PCT Union approved the text of the Agreement between the EAPO and the International Bureau of the WIPO in relation to the functioning of the Eurasian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the PCT for the period from the agreement’s entry into force until December 31, 2027.

On November 22, 2021, a ceremony for the signing of the Agreement by Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and Director General of the WIPO Daren Tang was held at the WIPO headquarters.

Daren Tang congratulated the Eurasian Patent Office on its new status within the PCT and welcomed the expansion of the geography of International Authorities by the appointment of the office as an ISA/IPEA, stressing that the EAPO member states represent one of the largest regions in the world and that the appointment will help strengthen the role of the Russian language in the PCT system. The WIPO Director General also noted the achievements of the Eurasian Patent Office in the digitalization of its activities and the development of electronic services, invited the office to participate in its new status in various initiatives held under the auspices of the WIPO, and promised the full assistance of the WIPO in the Eurasian Office’s performance of its new functions within the PCT.

Saule Tlevlessova expressed gratitude to the WIPO and to Daren Tang personally for supporting all efforts to complete the appointment procedure, which was implemented despite the limitations caused by the pandemic. As the Eurasian Patent Office President noted, the Eurasian Patent Organization has awaited this historic event for more than 25 years.

In the reporting year, at meetings and negotiations with the heads and employees of the WIPO Patents and Technology Sector’s departments and divisions, the Eurasian Patent Office President and representatives of the office discussed procedural issues related to the Agreement’s entry into force, as well as specific activities in preparation for the Office’s performance of ISA/IPEA functions, including the organization of training for employees in the procedures and regulations of the PCT system and the substantive examination and use of WIPO electronic services and the functionalities of the ePCT system for ISA/IPEA.

Increasing the capacity of EAPO member states in intellectual property

The prospect of EAPO participation in WIPO projects for promoting innovative development in the Eurasian countries was the subject of a video meeting of Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and WIPO Assistant Director General Marco Aleman, who oversees the IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector.

On January 22, 2021, the parties reviewed the current state of affairs and prospects for cooperation between the EAPO and WIPO in this area. A meeting held on May 12, 2021, was dedicated to discussion of a joint project to strengthen the potential of technoparks in the Eurasian countries in the commercialization of intellectual property.

On July 5, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova delivered the welcome speech at the opening of the WIPO Intellectual Property Summer School, held from June 28 to July 9, 2021 in a hybrid format. On July 6–7, 2021, at the in-person session of the Summer School in Sochi, Russian Federation, Eurasian Patent Office examiners gave lectures on patenting inventions under the Eurasian patent procedure.

On September 16, 2021, the WIPO and the Eurasian Patent Office held a joint regional webinar on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for the countries of the Caucasus region, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The Eurasian Patent Office’s speech focused on the office’s work within the PCT system. The Eurasian Patent Office representative’s presentation laid out the main benefits of the Eurasian patent system and explained the specifics of transferring an international application to the regional phase with the Eurasian Patent Office acting as the Designated/Elected Office.

Participation in meetings of member states and other WIPO events

In the reporting year, Eurasian Patent Office representatives participated both in person and remotely in the 62nd series of meetings of the WIPO Member States’ Assemblies, and in the following meetings of the relevant committees and working groups of the WIPO: the twenty-sixth session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property; the thirty-third session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents; the forty-fourth session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications; the ninth session of the Committee on WIPO Standards; the forty-sixth session of the IPC Revision Working Group; the fourteenth session of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Working Group; and the tenth session of the Working Group on the Legal Development of the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

On December 8, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office representative presented the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register at the thirty-third session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents under the agenda item “Patents and Health”.

Eurasian Patent Office representatives also participated in a number of special events organized by the WIPO: a seminar on intellectual property and genetic resources; the presentation of the Global Innovation Index 2021; the Advisory Committee on Enforcement: Online Dialogue meeting; the fourth round of the “Data – Beyond Artificial Intelligence in a Fully Interconnected World” WIPO discussion on intellectual property and advanced technologies; the “Harnessing Public Research for Innovation in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond – The Role of Knowledge Transfer Policies” seminar; and a webinar on the use of blockchain technologies in intellectual property ecosystems.

In April 2021, the annual statistical information on the Eurasian Patent Office’s activities was sent to the WIPO for inclusion in the WIPO IP Statistics Data Center database.

Since December 1, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office has expanded its activities within the WIPO Digital Access Service for Priority Documents (WIPO DAS) in relation to industrial design applications. Applicants have been given the opportunity, when claiming priority for a Eurasian industrial design application on the basis of an earlier application, to submit to the Eurasian Patent Office the access code for the earlier application in the WIPO DAS service instead of submitting a certified copy of the previous application on paper. The Eurasian Patent Office also acts as a depositing office in the WIPO DAS service, placing Eurasian industrial design applications in this digital library on the basis of applicants’ requests.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION (EEC)

In 2021, cooperation with the EEC received a new impetus in a number of areas.

Communication at the level of the Eurasian Patent Office President and members of the EEC Board (Ministers) actively developed.

On April 7, 2021, an EEC delegation headed by Member of the Board (Minister) in charge of Economy and Financial Policy Ruslan Beketaev visited the EAPO headquarters. The visitors to the office learned about the EAPO’s activities and, in turn, shared their experience in the Commission’s work on intellectual property, including the formation of a regulatory legal framework for the EAEU regional system of registration of trademarks, service marks, and appellations of origin of goods.

On September 20, 2021, an EEC delegation headed by Member of the Board (Minister) in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation Arman Shakkaliyev visited the EAPO headquarters. During the visit, the EEC delegation was provided with general information about the EAPO’s activities, the creation of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs, and prospects for the development of the system, including within the framework of cooperation with the EEC.

Following both meetings, plans for joint activities were agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding between the EAPO and the EEC, dated December 27, 2016, aimed at the mutual participation of the parties in various events in intellectual property and competition and the expansion of communication on issues of mutual interest.

On April 29, 2021, representatives from a number of structural divisions of the Eurasian Patent Office and from the EEC Technical Regulation and Accreditation Department met in a videoconference and held expert discussions of the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register and the prospects for its use within the EAEU.

On August 26–28, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office delegation participated in the events of the IX Anti-Counterfeit – 2021 International Forum. The EEC is traditionally an organizer of the forum, which was held in Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan in the reporting year. Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova gave the welcome speech at the plenary session of the forum and called on the EAEU countries to cooperate in promoting the fight against piracy and develop a unified approach to addressing this issue. In the discussion sessions, representatives of the office presented information about the benefits of the Eurasian patent system for the development of the creative economy of the region and about the Eurasian Patent Office’s experience in maintaining the EAPO Pharmaceutical Register.

On September 27, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and representatives of the office took part in the eleventh meeting of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property of the EEC Board, held via videoconference.

On September 30, 2021, during an EEC videoconference meeting, Eurasian Patent Office representatives heard about progress in the preparation of the “Antimonopoly Regulation of Relations Using Exclusive Intellectual Property Rights” review by the EEC.

On October 8, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office delegation headed by President Saule Tlevlessova participated in a discussion on limiting the monopoly rights of holders of patents for medicines during a meeting of the heads of the antimonopoly authorities of the EAEU member states and the Member of the Board (Minister) in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation. The meeting took place in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the VII Eurasian Antimonopoly Forum.

On November 24–25, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office and the EEC held a joint regional videoconference seminar on the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs, informing event participants – representatives of all EAPO member states – about the EAPO’s experience in creating a new Eurasian system and the Eurasian Patent Office’s current practice with industrial designs.

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE (EPO)

The reporting year saw the further development of cooperation with the EPO, with which the Eurasian Patent Office has long-standing partnerships in various areas of activity, including: exchange of experience in patent search and examination of patent applications, classification of patent documents, patent information exchange, and provision of information systems and services for patent procedure.

On March 22–23, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office took part in the 8th Annual Meeting on Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC), organized by the EPO jointly with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The meeting presented current information on the progress of this project, the patent offices’ experience in using CPC, as well as plans for the development of this classification system.

In 2021, under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation on the study by Eurasian Patent Office examiners and experts of approaches and practices in the European patent procedure took place exclusively in remote format.

In particular, Eurasian Patent Office examiners participated in the “Artificial Intelligence: an examiner’s perspective” (September 27, 2021), “Search Matters” (October 6–8, 2021), “Emerging technologies in the health sector” (October 28, 2021) and “Examiner’s conference 2021 – Convergent technologies” (December 8, 2021) conferences organized by the EPO.

In addition, representatives of the office studied EPO approaches to the organization of a remote procedure for challenging European patents at the “Opposition via Videoconference” seminar (July 7, 2021) and were trained in a series of search seminars (from October 1 to December 14, 2021) and a course on the classification of patent applications in certain fields of technology using CPC (from October 4 to December 3, 2021).

On December 17, 2021, training on EPOQUE Net, the European Office’s expert system for patent search, was organized in videoconference mode for Eurasian Patent Office employees.

In December 2021, the agreement with the EPO regulating the Eurasian Patent Office’s access to EPOQUE Net was extended for the following period.

At the end of the reporting year, a Working Plan for 2022–2023 on bilateral cooperation between the Eurasian Patent Office and the EPO was prepared for signing. It includes detailed information on all areas of cooperation between the two regional patent offices.

EUROPEAN UNION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE (EUIPO)

The launch of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs has given a new impetus to cooperation with the EUIPO, which is the largest regional office working with industrial designs.

On July 12, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office President Saule Tlevlessova and Executive Director of the EUIPO Christian Archambeau had a video meeting. The heads of the offices discussed progress in and the further development of bilateral cooperation and exchanged information on the current activities and achievements of the two regional offices in the legal protection of industrial designs.

The experience of the EAPO member states in creating the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs was presented to the countries of the Caribbean region that are member states of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.

On March 10, 2021, a Eurasian Patent Office representative gave a presentation on the EAPO’s activities at the “Benefits of regional intellectual property systems for cross-border trade” webinar organized by the EUIPO as part of its project for cooperation with Caribbean countries in intellectual property and innovation (CarIPI project).

The EUIPO webinar, which was attended by representatives of the 16 states of the Caribbean Forum, was organized to raise awareness of the national intellectual property institutions, ministries of trade and foreign affairs, and private sector organizations of the Caribbean region of the role of intellectual property rights protected by international and regional agreements in the development of cross-border trade and of the importance of regional integration in intellectual property for the national economies of the region.

The study of various aspects of the EUIPO’s activities with industrial designs continued in the reporting year. These are topical issues for both the Eurasian Patent Office and for examiners from the national industrial property offices of the EAPO member states.

On June 17–18, 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office and the EUIPO held a joint webinar. The EUIPO presented its practices with industrial designs to examiners from the patent offices of the EAPO member states. The EUIPO representatives’ lectures concerned procedural issues of the registration of industrial designs, approaches to classification, verification of the compliance of application materials with formal requirements, substantive examination, and possibilities to challenge the office’s decisions.

On November 25, 2021, EUIPO practice in the formal and substantive examination of industrial designs was also presented at a regional seminar organized by the Eurasian Patent Office and the EEC for potential users of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs from the EAPO member states.

On March 22–23, 2021, Eurasian Patent Office specialists participated in an online EUIPO conference on mediation in the field of intellectual property. At the conference, speakers from national and regional structures, business circles, and from the EUIPO itself discussed a wide range of issues in the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

During the second half of 2021, Eurasian Patent Office and EUIPO specialists worked together closely on information technology for data exchange and the integration of Eurasian Patent Office information on industrial designs into EUIPO information tools. The discussions concerned the contents and formats of data and the procedure for and frequency of data transmission.

At the end of 2021, the Eurasian Patent Office and the EUIPO agreed on a Working Plan for 2022–2023 covering all the main areas of cooperation.