Polish Government Drafts New Authors’ Rights Collective Management Law28/04/2017 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWARSAW – Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is drafting a new law on collective rights management which is to implement the relevant European Union legislation into Polish law. However, a think tank with close ties to the government has released a report that points to the relatively high operational costs of the authors’ and creators’ organisations, and could pave the way for further modifications to the system.
Poland To Simplify Patent Procedures, Amend Patent Attorney Law28/10/2016 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentPoland’s Ministry of Economic Development has announced it is developing a package of 11 executive ordinances – of which nine are yet to be signed by the minister – to improve the procedures for obtaining trademarks and contacting the Polish Patent Office, reduce the costs of registering and protecting trademarks and industrial designs, and facilitate these procedures for small- and medium-size companies.
Albania, Montenegro Amend IP Legislation With EU Bids In Mind19/09/2016 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentIn a bid to push forward their ongoing membership negotiations with the European Union, two Balkan States have moved to further harmonise their intellectual property regulations in line with EU legislation. Albania’s new copyright law will enter into force this October, and Montenegro’s amended legislation on trademarks, industrial design and topographies of semiconductor products entered into force last July.
V4 Countries Launch Visegrad Patent Institute As Region’s First ISA, IPEA08/07/2016 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWith the aim of strengthening regional cooperation in intellectual property, the four member states of the Visegrad Group, which comprises Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, launched the Visegrad Patent Institute (VPI) on 1 July. Applicants will be allowed to communicate with the institutions in their respective mother tongues, and fees for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications will be reduced by as much as 40 percent, according to Poland’s Patent Office (UPRP).
Ukraine To Amend Customs Code, Ratify Amendments To TRIPS16/03/2016 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentThe Ukrainian Parliament is currently drafting an amended Customs Code to introduce a number of changes to the country’s intellectual property legislation. Moreover, in mid-March, local lawmakers authorised Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko to ratify the protocol amending the TRIPS agreement which enables increased exports of pharmaceuticals produced under compulsory licences to countries which are not capable of manufacturing them locally.
Serbia Eyes Trademark Opposition System, Appoints New Patent Office Head15/02/2016 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe Serbian government and parliament are currently drafting a new trademark law for the country which is to introduce the trademark opposition system into national IP legislation. Meanwhile, the cabinet of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic recently appointed Vladimir Maric as the new acting director of Serbia’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Romanian Parliament Eyes National Scientific Works Register To Combat IP Violations20/11/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentRomanian members of Parliament have submitted a draft bill to establish a national scientific works register to combat intellectual property violations and plagiarism. These are to include theses, dissertations, articles, papers and reports. The draft, prepared by MPs from all the parties present in the Parliament, says the register is to comprise all scientific works prepared by and defended at higher education institutions which receive public funds, including private institutions which obtain some forms of funding from the state budget.
Polish Parliament Moves Toward Amending IP Law, Patent Registration Procedures14/09/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWARSAW — The Polish Parliament has drafted an amended industrial property law which is expected to facilitate the procedure for registering trademarks and reduce related costs, as well as introduce a number of other modifications to the existing regulations.
Poland To Modify Authors’ Rights Violations Regulation After Constitutional Court Ruling30/06/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWARSAW – Poland’s Constitutional Court has released a ruling in which it states that the country’s regulation obliging any entity violating other entity’s author’s rights to pay the threefold amount of due payment is excessive, and, as a result, should be amended. The latest ruling will oblige the Polish Parliament to modify the authors’ rights bill in line with the Constitutional Court decision, and decrease the amount of the due compensation.
Polish Government Drafts IP Law Reform13/05/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWARSAW — More than twenty years after Poland’s parliament passed the Authors’ and Related Rights law of 1994, the Polish government is drafting three bills to modify the country’s intellectual property legislation. The first of the drafts prepared by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National heritage was submitted to the Parliament in March, and is currently being deliberated, while the ministry is finishing work on the remaining two drafts.
