The International Conference "Patents and XXI century"

 

The International Conference “Patents and XXI century”, organized by European and Eurasian Patent Offices was held in Saint-Petersburg on September 1, 2003.

Holding of the Conference in the North capital of Russia - Saint-Petersburg is a sign of homage to the great city during of its glorious anniversary year.

Heads and experts of International and National Patent Offices, patent attorneys, representatives of enterprises and organizations in scientific and technical, industrial, and other fields of activity from CIS and Europe took part in the Conference.

Delegations of the European Patent Office and the Eurasian Patent Office were headed by the Presidents - Dr. Ingo Kober and Dr.Victor Blinnikov.

The EPO delegation was also represented by Vice-president of EPO Dr. Manuel Desantes, by assistant of President of EPO Dr. Aidan Kendrick, and by Project Leader on CIS and Mongolia of Department for International Technical Cooperation of EPO Ms. Nina Fomby. The delegation of the Eurasian Patent Office was represented by Vice-president of EAPO Dr. Alexander Grigoriev and attendants. The World Intellectual Property Organization was represented by Head of PCT Reform Section of WIPO Mr. Claus Matthes.

Representatives of fourteen European and Asian States tookpart in the Conference’s work:

Heads of the Patent Offices of Republic of Azerbaijan (Mr. Mir Yagub Seidov), Republic of Armenia (Mr. Armen Azizyan), Republic of Belarus (Mr. Valery Kudashov), Georgia (Mr. David Gabunia), Republic of Kazakhstan (Mrs. Nurgaysha Sakhipova), the Kyrgyz Republic (Mr. Roman Omorov), Republic of Moldova (Mr. Nikolay Taran), Russia Federation (Mr. Alexander Korchagin), Republic of Tajikistan (Mr. Inom Takhirov), Ukraine (Mr. Nikolay Palady);

Deputy heads of the Patent offices of Mongolia (Tsedenish Shinebayar) and Republic of Turkmenistan (Rustemmurat Payzullayev);

Experts of the Patent Offices of Norway and Republic of Uzbekistan.

Patent attorneys and companies of patent attorneys, organizations and enterprises, actively filing the aplications with the EAPO, participated in the conference. Among them there were such leading companies and institutions of patent attorneys as “Law Firm Gorodissky and Partners”, Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office, “Sojuzpatent”, “Nevinpat“, “VTPU Agency’, “Euromarkpat”, “Arkos”, “Advocate patent office “Rotary”, enterprises, organizations and companies “Electrosila”, “Svetlana”, “Air Liquide”, “Goulings International Inc.”, “Giprorybflot”, “Polisan”, “LMZ”, “LoNIIS”, “Kraton Polymer Research” and many others.

The Conference excited a great interest of international business community and professionals in the field of intellectual property protection.

The interest of participants on this International Conference is absolutely understandable - the main task was the direct contacts between the creators of inventions and staff of patent offices who deals with the legal protection of industrial property, between those who invents, draws up the documentation, files applications and represents the interests of inventors and applicants, and who evaluates the protectability of inventions, grants patents and provides the World Community with patent technical information.

A wide range of actual problems was presented by reports and electronic issues on the Conference under Chairmanship of the Vice-president of EAPO Dr. A. Grigoriev:

by President of the Eurasian Patent Office, Dr. V. Blinnikov - “Eurasian Patent System and Its Role in the CIS Region”;

by President of the European Patent Office, Dr. I. Kober - “Change and Development in the European Patent System: Preparingfor the Years Ahead”;

by General Director of Rospatent, Dr. A. Korchagin - “New Patent Law of Russian Federation”;

by Head of the PCT Reform Section of WIPO Mr. C. Matthes - “The Future of PCT within the International Patent System”;

by Vice-president of “Air Liquide” company, Dr. T. Sueur - “Foreign Investments and Patents”;

by President of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office, Dr. W. Holzer - “Economic Evaluation of Patent Rights”;

by General Director of “Law Firm Gorodissky and Partners” Mr. V. Medvedev - “Eurasian and European Patents: Similar and Distinctive Issues.”

The Program of the Conference was finished by discussion and constructive exchange of views in the framework of round table.

The Conference, as was noted by participants, contributed to the better understanding of modern processes in the field of legal protection of industrial property and the progress tendency in XXI century. It became one more remarkable step on the way of solution of those global tasks, for which the institutions of intellectual property and patent community exist.