On February 27, 2024, in the Palace of Serbia, 110 festive certificates were awarded in the domain of traditional crafts, old and artistic handicraft and enterprises of domestic manufacture.
The Ministry of Economy is competent for the issuing of certificates in the field of old and artistic crafts and domestic handicraft manufacturing and keeping registers about the issued certificates. So far, 1100 certified business enterprises have been entered into the register. The holders of certificates are mostly entrepreneurs, but also companies as well as handicraft cooperatives and associations.
At the festive celebration, the Minister of Economy, Mr. Slobodan Cvetković, Acting Asst. Minister of Economy Mr. Dušan Vučković, Coordinator of the Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Museum of Ethnography, Ms. Danijela Filipović and the Director of the Intellectual Property Office, Mr. Vladimir Marić, gave speeches.
Minister of Economy, in his address, stated that the certification enables a serial of benefits in the creation of better ambient for the business performance in the domain of traditional crafts, old and artistic handicraft and domestic handicraft manufacturing, bearing in mind that due to the manner of manufacturing and the amount of manufactured products, they can not be competitive on the market. The Minister stated that through the tax benefits, the holders of the certificates who opt to pay the taxes for the independent activity as a flat rate, acquire the right to have their initial basis for the calculation of the amount of the taxes reduced for 50%.
The Director of the Intellectual Property Office has also addressed the participants indicating that these manifestations remind us that old crafts have their place in the time of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, as well as that they prevent our treasure, our old crafts to be covered by oblivion. He reminded all the craftsmen that their work creates the intellectual property assets and that their work, providing it is original, can be protected by copyright or industrial design. He stated that their products may be marked by a trademark in order to be distinctive on the market and different from the same or similar products, as well as that there is a possibility to protect a product by a patent, providing that the craftsman, in the course of his work, invented some novelty or improved some already existing production process.
The Director of the Intellectual Property Office has taken advantage of this festive opportunity to invite everyone dealing with old crafts to visit the Office and congratulated the winners of certificates on their success.
Note about the copyright:
Photographs used in this news have been published with the approval of the Ministry of Economy.
