Scientific Projects of the EAPO

The Eurasian Patent Office enhanced its research and development activities in 2022 to simplify industrial property patenting process, including through use of artificial intelligence technologies and increasing the level of integration in the field of intellectual property in the Eurasian space.

The President of the Eurasian Patent Office approved the Research and Development Plan for 2022–2025, which provides for 12 research and development activities related to intellectual property. The Eurasian Patent Office’s main scientific research projects include:

Draft Eurasian Strategy for IP Development 2035.This scientific project is aimed at the creation of a common Eurasian space in the field of intellectual property, advancing the importance of IP in the Eurasian space as a priority sector of the economy, strengthening national security, including through increasing the technological independence of the EAPO Member States, developing the culture of IP management, ensuring the effective protection of the results of intellectual activity, and improving the system for the forensic examination of intellectual property

Draft Concepts of Eurasian Systems for the Legal Protection of Trademarks, Service Marks and Utility Models. This research is aimed at formulating proposals for the creation of Eurasian systems on the basis of EAPO for the legal protection of trademarks, service marks, and utility models. It explores the possible impact of the creation of Eurasian systems for the legal protection of the mentioned intellectual property on the trends in the filing of applications for trademark registration and in the obtainment of legal protection for utility models in the territories of the EAPO Member States.

Institutional and Legal Aspects of Creating a Common Expert and Information Space in the Field of Industrial Property in the Eurasian Region. This research is aimed at identifying the mechanisms for the creation of a common expert and information space in the field of industrial property in the Eurasian region and developing recommendations for the implementation of joint information and expert projects to improve the quality of work of the national IP offices and the Eurasian Patent Office.

The Eurasian Patent Office’s research activity was carried out in close cooperation with the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS), the Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property (RSAIP), the Russian Research Institute of Economics, Politics and Law (RIEPL), the National Intellectual Property Center (Republic of Belarus), and others.

In 2022 the EAPO signed a scientific cooperation agreement with the Federal Institute of Industrial Property and a cooperation agreement with the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia.

Cooperation with the RSAIP received a fresh impetus in the reporting year. On April 11, 2022, a Cooperation Agreement was signed between the EAPO and RSAIP, and on April 28, 2022, a strategic plan for interaction between the EAPO and RSAIP was approved to promote educational, scientific, outreach, and examiner activities in the field of intellectual property in the Eurasian space in 2022–2026.

A significant event in the history of the office took place on September 21, 2022. The Eurasian Patent Office, together with the RSAIP, held the first International Eurasian Conference on Intellectual Property and Technologies – IP EURASIA 22 SPACE OF INNOVATION.

The conference resulted in a meaningful dialogue which brought together more than 400 participants from 10 countries, including inventors, patent attorneys, young people, and representatives of business, government, scientific and educational organizations. The event was dedicated to innovations in pharmaceuticals and to the protection of intellectual property in the Eurasian space.

During the conference, 11 events were held in various formats, including a plenary session, panel discussions, an IP battle, workshops, an exhibition, and a business game for students.

The conference opened with the Innovative Intellectual Property Processes – a Driver of Healthcare Development plenary session. The leadership of the national IP offices of the EAPO member states discussed the trends and prospects of patent activity in pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and biotechnology, including measures necessary to unlock scientific, technological, and industrial potential in medicine in the Eurasian space. The meeting was moderated by Grigory Ivliev, President of the Eurasian Patent Office.

In her welcome address, Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, noted that the IP Eurasia Conference was an important element of cooperation between the countries of the Eurasian region.

At the “Creating a Responsible Future: Views and Prospects for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers” panel discussion, representatives of leading Eurasian pharmaceutical companies discussed mechanisms for the protection of intellectual property in the continental market and the trends in their development.

The Pharma: from the Past to the Future exhibition drew particular interest from participants and visitors to the conference. The exhibition presented the first documents protecting rights to inventions from the regions of the Russian Empire (which are now the EAPO member states) and Russian handicrafts registered by Rospatent with appellations of origin and geographical indications. An interactive map made it possible to see the full list and find out their regions along with regional brands and goods from the EAPO member countries, such as Armenia and Belarus.

In total, more than 40 experts in intellectual property and the pharmaceutical industry spoke at the conference: heads of the IP offices of the EAPO member states; Sergey Kabyshev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Stanislav Naumov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy; Tadzio Schilling, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of European Businesses; Leo Bokeria, President of the Bakulev National Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery; Grigory Potapov, General Director of Pharmstandart; Aleksandr Bykov, Director of Healthcare Economics at R-Pharm Group; Yuri Kuznetsov, Partner and Head of Patent Practices at Gorodissky & Partners Law Firm; Irina Sheikha, Director of Legal Affairs and Intellectual Property Rights Protection at the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM); Vadim Kukava, Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmaceutical Innovations Association of Pharmaceutical Companies; Pyotr Bely, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed Group; Oleg Neretin, Director of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property; Tatiana Erivantseva, Deputy Director of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, Olga Tereshchenko, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property; and others.

Pharmstandart Pharmaceutical Company and R-Pharm Group were the official sponsors of the conference, and Gorodissky & Partners Law Firm, the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM), and Soyuzpatent were also sponsors.

The Federal Institute of Industrial Property was a partner of the event.

The Farmvestnik information and analytical portal was the general information partner of the conference.

The conference is a new global platform in the Eurasian space for the discussion of challenging issues and the prospects of international cooperation in regard to intellectual property.

It is planned to hold the conference annually on the second day of the meeting of the EAPO Administrative Council.

The conference’s website is now available on an ongoing basis: https://ip-eurasia.ru.

Educational Projects of the EAPO

One priority area for the EAPO is public awareness and education, the professional development of the experts of the national IP offices of the States party to the EAPC and of the Eurasian Patent Office, and the promotion of intellectual property among young people.

Internship of Examiners of the National IP Offices. In May–August 2022, 20 biotechnologists, physicians and pharmacists from research and development institutes and research centers, and graduates of higher educational institutions in the above-mentioned specialties completed an internship organized by the Eurasian Patent Office at the FIPS training center. At the Eurasian Patent Office, they completed the special “Peculiarities of the Implementation of Expert Activities in the Eurasian Patent Office” course, which included lectures and practical classes with leading examiners of the Eurasian Patent Office’s Examination Department, experts of the Patent Information and Automation Department, and lawyers of the office. The training program is aimed at delivering theoretical knowledge and the practical skills necessary for IP experts.

From November 28 to December 2, 2022, an internship on the examination of Eurasian industrial design applications was held for experts of the patent offices of the EAPO member states at the Eurasian Patent Office headquarters in Moscow. The event was attended by 17 examiners from all of the national IP offices of the EAPO member states. The internship program included presentations and reports by representatives of the Eurasian Patent Office on the details of drafting and filing Eurasian industrial design applications, the stages of examination, the registration of industrial designs, the publication of information on Eurasian applications and patents, the procedure for filing oppositions and appeals, and the disposal of rights to obtain Eurasian industrial design patents and exclusive rights to registered industrial designs. Lecturers from the International Bureau of WIPO, FIPS, and RSAIP were involved in the internship, along with patent attorneys. In turn, all participants in the internship gave presentations offering brief overviews of the national industrial design patenting systems. Representatives of the Eurasian Patent Office and experts of the national IP offices had a detailed discussion of practical issues related to the examination and registration of industrial designs and of prospects for the development of industrial design protection using digital three-dimensional models for visualization.

On November 28–December 2, 2022, the next stage of the training of experts of the national IP offices in information security and information technologies was held. As a result of the program, 7 experts learned to use the risk management methodology for information security in the automated system, to develop models of information security threats in an organization, to assess and classify security threats, to select risk management models based on the technical and economic features of the functioning of information systems, and to solve many other challenges related to information security.

In the reporting year, the training of representatives of the IP offices of the States party to the EAPC continued at the RSAIP and the FIPS Scientific and Educational Center, funded by the EAPO: 3 people completed postgraduate studies, 5 people completed master’s courses, and 1 person completed a bachelor’s degree program.

As part of the “Intellectual Property. Patenting” professional training program, 13 people were provided various forms of training, and 8 experts from national IP offices were provided with advanced training.

Advancing the Future Universiade

The Eurasian Patent Office annually holds the “Advancing the Future” Eurasian patent universiade, with the participation of the national IP offices of the EAPO member states. The main purpose of the universiade is to promote intellectual property among young people and to support talented young inventors and developers.

More than 120 young inventors and design creators from all 8 States party to the EAPC took part in the “Advancing the Future-2022” Universiade, and 53 projects were submitted in the “younger” category, in which participants are aged from 10 to 17. The creative projects presented reflected issues of ecology, health and healthy lifestyles, and modern technologies in everyday life. The creators proposed new designs for everyday items in their industrial designs.

A jury composed of Eurasian Patent Office examiners selected the winners, runners up, and diploma holders in each category. In the category “The Earth is Our Common Home: Technical Solutions for Contemporary Environmental Issues”, Damir Ulosevich (Republic of Belarus) was the winner in the 10-to-17 age group and Tatiana Chervonnaya (Russian Federation) won the 18-to-25 age group. Elizaveta Ivanova (Republic of Belarus) and Diloivar Bobokalonov (Republic of Tajikistan) took first place in the “Inventions to Guard Health: Solutions for Health Care and Healthy Lifestyles” category.

International Forum of Young Inventors and Innovators

On May 25–27, 2022, Veliky Novgorod hosted the International Forum of Young Inventors and Innovators, which has now been held for many years. The event was attended by young inventors, scientists, and representatives of creative industries aging from 18 to 35 from 14 countries, who presented innovative developments which have a high level of readiness for patenting and commercialization.

As part of the forum’s business program, the Eurasian Patent Office experts held a seminar on the foreign patenting of innovative developments, which was moderated by the President of Eurasian Patent Office. Experts of the Eurasian Patent Office, FIPS, and the National Intellectual Property Center of the Republic of Belarus spoke on the advantages of foreign and regional Eurasian patenting, the filing procedure for international applications, and practical aspects of obtaining a strong patent.

Regional Seminar in Osh

On August 23–24, 2022, the regional “Forming a Eurasian Patent Information Space: Experience and Prospects” seminar was held in Osh, Kyrgyz Republic. It was arranged by the Eurasian Patent Office and the State Agency for Intellectual Property and Innovation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent). The event was attended by representatives of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the President of the Eurasian Patent Office, and the leadership and experts of the patent offices of the EAPO member states. The seminar addressed key issues of the informational and technological support for the processes of integration and interaction in IP in the Eurasian space and the Eurasian Patent Office’s electronic systems and services for applicants and scientific organizations from the EAPO member states. The participants exchanged experience in the digitalization of national IP offices, discussed the possibilities for using modern information technologies, including AI tools and 3D models of claimed subject matter, in the practical activities of the offices.

International Competitions

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.

Indonesia

On October 29–31, 2022, a Eurasian Patent Office delegation took part in the 8^th International Exhibition of Young Inventors (IYIA-2022) in Bali, Indonesia. The exhibition was attended by more than 1,000 young inventors from 32 states, mainly Southeast Asian countries. Inventors from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan represented the EAPO member states at the exhibition.

All members of the Russian inventive team were awarded silver and gold medals, as well as special awards. The Kazakh participants were awarded two gold medals.

The Eurasian Patent Office awarded the “Advancing the Future” medal to two teams: an Indonesian group that presented an original solution for the use of organic extracts to protect wood against termites and students of the Quantorium Children’s Technopark Technical Development Center of the Fadeev Svobodnensky Children’s Railway.

A round table was held on the basics of patenting on October 30. The need for further training activities was identified, including in searching patent databases and drafting patent applications.

Republic of Korea

On October 11–13, 2022, the winners of the 7^th Korean International Youth Olympiad, annually held by the World Association of Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs (WWIEA), were awarded. The Eurasian Patent Office traditionally forwards its awards to the WWIEA for subsequent presentation to the winners in two categories: Team Competition and Best of the Best Inventions. In 2022, Shihan Du, Yaru Yang, and Zhiyi Lai (Sendelt International Academy in Shenzhen, China) won the Eurasian Patent Office prize in the Best of the Best Inventions category for the development of a secure lid based on fingerprint recognition. The Vietnamese team which created the Aquaculture 4.0 – Solving Marine Pollution Issue and Creating Sustainable Cyclical Technology for Fishermen project won the Eurasian Patent Office prize in the Team Creative Competition category.

Pharma’s cool 2022

The Eurasian Patent Office receives a significant share of applications related to medicine and has great professional competence in reviewing innovative solutions in the field of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical technologies, and it therefore seeks to interact with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, startups, and developers in the medical field to inform them of approaches to the preparation and examination of applications in the field and assist in identifying the solutions that are most promising in terms of protectability and innovative potential.

On March 23, 2022, Eurasian Patent Office representative took part in the “Intellectual Property Protection and Investment Attraction” panel as part of the intensive Pharma’s cool-2022 educational program and presented the paper “Regional Patent Protection of Pharmaceutical Inventions – the Eurasian Patent System.” The participants in the panel gained knowledge on the capabilities and advantages of the Eurasian patent system and specific features of the patenting of biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and medical developments.

The purpose of the Pharma’s cool program is to attract, involve, and integrate young scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, students, and postgraduates into the innovation ecosystem of Russia and the Eurasian space.

PharmBioTech (Skolkovo)

The final stage of the PharmBioTech competition took place on December 5, 2022. It was organized by the Skolkovo Foundation and its industrial partners. The Eurasian Patent Office has supported competitions for startups in pharmaceuticals and medical technologies in Skolkovo since 2018. This year, two examiners represented the Eurasian Patent Office on the competition jury. The selection of the nominee took into account the novelty of the project, its social significance, its prospects for launch on the market, and the patent protection portfolio of such developments. As a result of the PharmBioTech competition, a development team from the IFAR Research Center (Tomsk, Russia) won the “Advancing the Future” medal for a group of designs for innovative medicines.

“School Patent”

The Eurasian Patent Office is a long-term partner of the “School Patent” international competition, which began in 2009. The purpose of the competition is to encourage children’s inventive creativity and to disseminate knowledge about intellectual property among schoolchildren.

On April 26, 2022, Emil Mammadov, Vice President of the Eurasian Patent Office, congratulated the winners of the 13^th “School Patent – Step into the Future” competition. He particularly noted the growing interest of young talents in the competition:“A lot of young inventors from the EAPO member states take part in the competition. This inspires confidence in their imminent application for Eurasian patents for the inventions submitted to the competition or for inventions that the winners of ‘School Patent’ will develop in the near future.”

On May 20, 2022, young winners of the 13^th “School Patent – Step into the Future” international children’s competition visited the headquarters of the Eurasian Patent Office. The visitors to the office were middle and senior school students and winners and runners up in the “Invention”, “Industrial Design”, “Research and Development Project”, and other competition categories. The young inventors were also addressed by Armen Azizyan, Vice-President of the Office, who expressed a desire for the visitors to become the holders of Eurasian patents, and by Alexander Grigoriev, a former President of the Eurasian Patent Office. He spoke on the role of regional intellectual property systems in the contemporary world.

The examiners and employees of the office spoke to the schoolchildren about the history of global patent systems, the functions of patent offices, patent search, and the patenting of industrial designs. Following the informative lectures, the children took a tour of the office, where they talked with patent examiners, got acquainted with their work, and reviewed interesting patented inventions.

International school of young inventors "Patentny Vzlet"

On September 22, 2022, the Eurasian Patent Office took part in “Patentny Vzlet” international school of young inventors, an online design-oriented educational program organized jointly with Kyrgyzpatent, FIPS, and the Association of Technology and Innovation Support Centers. In the panel discussion on sharing experience in the demonstration of presentations and workshops for schoolchildren, a Eurasian Patent Office examiner spoke on the theme of “Inventor, Patent Specialist, Patent Attorney, Patent Examiner...” The main goal of the professionally oriented program was the promotion of the scientific and research activities of children and youth through the mutual exchange of experience and knowledge in invention, innovative activity, and intellectual property.

Eurasian Patent Office and WIPO Project for Technoparks

A pilot project to strenghen the potential of technoparks in the commercialization of the results of intellectual activity was initiated in mid-2020. Its implementation has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The goal of the project is to expand the capabilities of technoparks in the commercialization of the results of intellectual activity. Technoparks represent the most important element of the innovation infrastructure in all Eurasian countries. They are the flagships of technological development in their regions, in their states, in the Eurasian space as a whole. The Eurasian Patent Office and the national IP offices would benefit if technopark staff had all the necessary tools to obtain protection, implement technical solutions, and protect their rights.

In April 2022, an investigation of the state of affairs regarding the commercialization of the results of intellectual activity in the technoparks of the region was finalized. In 2022, the EAPO member states selected 15 pilot technoparks for representatives to complete a training course. The project action plan was approved.

The program has been adapted to the needs of the technoparks. It includes a series of training events on various aspects of technology transfer: the elaboration of IP policy in organizations, IP licensing, marketing, and IP evaluation and registration. The training events will be incredibly practice-oriented and will include applied aspects, workshops, and reviews of real cases.

The Eurasian Patent Office would like for the maximum number of innovators to gain knowledge and skills in IP rights management. Following the results of the training events, it is planned to prepare general recommendations for all technoparks in the countries of the Eurasian space and create a special training course together with RSAIP. Thus, it is expected that the results of this project will be broadened to other technoparks which are not among the beneficiaries of the initial project.

Webinars and Training Events Organized Jointly with WIPO

A series of training events were organized jointly with WIPO in connection with the launch of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs and the appointment of the Eurasian Patent Office as an International Authority under the PCT.

On March 10, 2022, a regional webinar was held on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs for countries of the Caucasus region, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. The webinar was attended by more than 170 listeners. The participants were informed of the key features of the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs, the procedure for patenting industrial designs, the stages of the examination of applications, and the regulatory legal acts that govern the regional system. Particular features of the drafting and filing of Eurasian industrial design applications which harmonize the Eurasian system with the Hague System for International Registration of Industrial Designs were outlined.

There were a series of PCT webinars aimed at examiners, patent attorneys, and users:

June 22, 2022 – training on the functions of an International Authority in the ePCT system for Eurasian Patent Office examiners.

September 26, 2022 – ePCT system for Applicants and Third Parties.

October 11, 2022 – Who can be an applicant? How can an agent or representative be appointed to act in such capacity?

November 10, 2022 – Entering the National Phase of a PCT Application.

November 17, 2022 – ePCT functionality for offices (functions of a Receiving Office).

November 21, 2022 – WIPO Fee Transfer Service.

November 22, 2022 – Functions of an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority and the Functionality of the ePCT System for Such Authorities.

December 1, 2022 – WIPO Electronic Services: PATENTSCOPE.

On December 7, 2022, a sub-regional seminar on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) was held for the Central Asian countries in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The seminar was jointly organized by WIPO, the Eurasian Patent Office, and the State Service of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan. The event was attended by patent attorneys and representatives of government bodies. At the seminar, the speaker from the Eurasian Patent Office explained specific features and details of the entrance of international applications under the PCT into the regional phase in the Eurasian Patent Office, presented the requirements for the documents, the procedure for filling out the relevant forms, and fee payment, and also touched upon the need to comply with the prescribed deadlines and the procedure for preserving rights in case the deadlines are exceeded.

Cooperation with the Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property (RSAIP)

The main areas of cooperation with the RSAIP include assistance in the harmonization, sustainability, efficiency, and attractiveness of the IP ecosystem in the Eurasian space, education, the formation of IP culture among the younger generation, reviews of the best Russian and foreign practices, the development and dissemination of innovative solutions, and the creation of a multidisciplinary platform for the development of scientific knowledge and communication between the professional community and scientific experts.

On April 25, 2022, the final stage of the prestigious 14^th International Intellectual Property Olympiad for High School Students took place. The competition is traditionally held by RSAIP with the assistance of the Eurasian Patent Office, WIPO, and Rospatent. In 2022, almost three thousand high school students from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan took part in the Olympiad.

On July 3–8, 2022, the IP Summer Academy, annually organized by RSAIP, was held in Sochi. In the reporting year, special attention was paid in the program to Eurasian integration in the field of intellectual property and to the regional IP registration system. More than 70 people from Russia and the CIS countries attended the Summer Academy. The President of the Eurasian Patent Office delivered a lecture on the movement toward a unified Eurasian patent and expert space. The Rector of the RSAIP and the Head of the IP Protection Department of Sirius University also addressed the students of the Summer Academy.

On October 18, 2022, the Eurasian Patent Office and the RSAIP jointly organized the online seminar “Updates in the Eurasian Patent Organization Acts on Patenting Inventions and Industrial Designs” for examiners of the national IP offices of the States party to the EAPC and Eurasian patent attorneys. The seminar was attended by more than 120 experts. It provided detailed information about changes to the regulatory documents of the Eurasian Patent Office and presented electronic services for interaction with users of the Eurasian patent system in the context of changes in the patent procedure.

On December 8, 2022, the Eurasian Patent Office and RSAIP jointly held the “Practical Aspects and Features of Obtaining Eurasian Invention and Industrial Design Patents” videoconference round table. The event was attended by more than 160 representatives of the States party to the EAPC, including employees of national IP offices, Eurasian and national patent attorneys, representatives of higher education institutions, and other interested persons.

On December 16, 2022, at the Conference of Young Scientists, the President of the Eurasian Patent Office awarded a V.I. Blinnikov scholarship to a postgraduate student of the RSAIP Zhanna Shevyreva for the best 2022 thesis project on the “Legal Regulation of Disposal of Exclusive Rights.”

The Eurasian Patent Office maintains the best traditions by its persistent efforts in supporting young scientists, who are the future innovators in IP, in the scientific progress, and in the development of the regional system for patenting inventions and industrial designs.

Annual Seminar

“IP Protection Strategies for Successful Development of a Company”

On June 1, 2022, representatives of the Eurasian Patent Office’s Examination Department took part in and presented their papers at the 20^th annual seminar “IP Protection Strategies for Successful Development of a Company”, which was organized by the Gorodissky & Partners Law Firm with the participation of speakers from the Eurasian Patent Office, Rospatent, Yandex, Sun Pharma, and the leading patent attorneys and lawyers of the firm. More than 200 participants attended the workshop. The experts discussed the main changes in IP legislation, compared the patent systems of Eurasia, Russia, China, and India, and also held three round tables: Patent protection of pharma inventions in Eurasia, Russia, and India; Patent protection of computer related inventions in Eurasia, Russia, and China; and National and International Legal Protection of Industrial Designs.