January, 29, 2010

The Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia has created an Education and Information Centre on Intellectual Property. This project is an IPA 2007 EU funded project, co-funded and implemented by the European Patent Office.

The mission of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Serbia encompasses not only the registration of patents, trade marks, industrial designs and the harmonisation of legislation with international conventions, but also responsibility for the overall development of the national IP system, which is necessary for sound economic development. The institute has a key role in raising the general level of awareness of IP and its significance for social and economic development, as well as awareness of the negative impact of piracy and counterfeiting. To face these challenges it has set up a Centre for IP Education and Information.

The Centre will set up a programme of IP training that will address the needs of all the key players in Serbia: companies (including SMEs), research institutes, the courts, the police, market inspectorates, customs, media, legal entities and the public at large. Teaching and other educational materials, which will be developed with the help of foreign experts, will be customised to the needs of each specific group of users.

The Centre will also develop a wide range of practical services for various aspects of IP. These will include IP diagnostics, a service designed to enable businesses to identify their IP assets and adopt appropriate IP strategies. Special attention will be given to maintenance of the Centre's stakeholders' network in Serbia, with a view to supporting regular communication. A database is being developed and a needs analysis is being carried out for each group of stakeholders.

A programme of co-operation with technical universities has been designed with a view to creating centres for fostering the transfer of technology between R&D and companies. Also, the strengthening of institutions involved in the enforcement of IP rights, in particular the police, customs and the judiciary, will help reduce piracy and increase overall confidence in the IP system.

More information:

EIC newsletter No 2
EIC newsletter No 1