EAEU Member States discussed IP prospects

On June 19, 2020 the 10th session of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property under the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) was held in video conference format.

The main objective of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property under the EEC Board (Advisory Committee) is to develop proposals for the EEC Board on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) territory. The Advisory Committee members are the heads and representatives of state bodies authorized in intellectual property (IP) matters, professional public organizations, and business community of the EAEU member states.

The Advisory Committee members together with the representatives of the EEC Department of Entrepreneurial Activity Development discussed the current state of affairs as well as certain issues of IP development in the EAEU member states. In particular, they deliberated on the proposals made by the Republic of Belarus concerning studying mutual experience in matters of government incentives for the creation and use of IP objects, development of a harmonized approach to determining the amount of damages from exclusive IP rights infringement; the proposal of the Russian Federation to create a unified register of pharmacologically active substances protected by invention patents in the territory of the EAEU member states (Unified Register), and participation of patent attorneys in its creation and maintenance.

The Vice-President of the Eurasian Patent Office Mr. A. Azizyan supported the initiative of the Russian Federation to create the Unified Register and noted that in the EAEU member states inventions regarding pharmacologically active substances can enjoy protection under national and Eurasian patents as well. This has to be taken into account when establishing the Unified Register. Mr. Azizyan highlighted that the EAPO’s long-term experience in maintaining the regional register of Eurasian invention patents valid in the 8 Eurasian Patent Convention member states proves the need for joint work on a range of procedural and technical issues to create the Unified Register.

Based on the materials of the Eurasian Patent Office.