The document defines the mission, strategic directions, aims and objectives of the IP office for the coming years.
The effectiveness of Ukraine's struggle for independence during the decades-long war of aggression unleashed by Russia, post-war recovery and technological development of our country largely depend on intellectual capital, on the constant investment of efforts by the state, business and society in the development of the innovation and creative sectors, on the development of an effective innovation ecosystem and the national intellectual property system as a whole.
Currently, international and national experts, experts from the IP Office and the Ministry of Economy, representatives of various IP sectors are actively working on the drafting of the National Intellectual Property Strategy of Ukraine until 2030. Its first draft will be presented on April 26 during the IP Week 2024. Further discussions will continue and recommendations are expected from the WIPO experts with whom the document is being prepared. GIZ experts were also involved in drafting recommendations on sectoral aspects of IP.
Joint efforts, a wide range of experts and specialists involved, as well as public discussions should contribute to the development of a high-quality strategic document for the IP sphere, which is planned to be approved by a governmental act.
In the context of the work on this document, we offer for review the IP Office’s Strategic Development Plan for 2024-2028, approved in February 2024 by the Ministry of Economy.
The Strategic Plan takes into account the fact that the IP Office was established in 2022, the year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing ninth year of the war. This directly affected the viability, protection and defense of the country, as well as the need to intensify the state's activities in all sectors of the economy. And the intellectual property sphere is not an exception.
"When drafting the Strategic Plan and defining key directions, we started from an understanding of common goals of the national intellectual property system as an integral part of the Ukrainian economy. We strive to join the European Union and NATO to create safe conditions for our future life and development. That is why our business, civil sector, government institutions, and society as a whole are working hard not only helping the Defense Forces to defend Ukraine and fight for its independence, including all possible international platforms, but also ensuring compliance with the requirements for joining the EU and NATO. We must continue to implement reforms, following the course of the EU candidate country. The support for the Ukrainian intellectual property sector, which suffered heavy losses from the war, is also reflected in consistent steps and acts of WIPO, European organizations, and actions of our foreign partners, and we deeply appreciate such support. We realize that some of the measures we have identified are of a longer-term nature than the timeframe of this plan. However, our team will work hard to implement the key areas and goals. Ukrainians are an intellectual and creative nation that deserves an innovative future. Effective, transparent, persistent and consistent activities of the IP Office are an important steps towards making this future real", - noted the IP Office’s Director Olena Orliuk.
In particular, the Strategy outlines nine strategic directions of the IP office:
1.Development of International Cooperation in the IP Sphere
The vision of the IP Office is to promote Ukraine's position on the world IP map, to launch a qualitatively new level of cooperation with WIPO and professional representation of Ukraine's interests there. It also aims to facilitate the regional and bilateral network cooperation development, including strengthening the cooperation with national and regional IP offices, in particular with EUIPO, EPO, and USPTO.
IP Office will continue to counteract Russia's attempts to legitimize its armed aggression against Ukraine through international organizations in the IP sphere.
2. Reliable Protection of Applicants' IP Rights
The aim is to ensure effective procedures for the examination of IPR applications based on the principles of the rule of law, legality, transparency, publicity, digitalization, objectivity, impartiality, independence, reliability, scientific validity, up-to-date methodological support, effective management of human resources, and compliance with reasonable time limits. The IP Office will also continue to work on compliance with ISA/IPEA standards.
3. Digital Transformation
The aim is to transfer service processes, administration, examination and “Applicant-Office” interaction to online adaptive and modern processes, which will increase productivity and quality of services. IP Office team aims to create tools for adaptation of hardware and software to the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, which also aims to harmonize the technological environment for efficient exchange of IP data with the global community, national and regional offices, as well as international organizations, which will allow to create applied tools for intensification of work within the framework of global partnership.
4. High-Quality and Effective Legal Support of the IP Sphere
It involves the formation of a legal framework in which Ukraine is actively moving towards the harmonization and implementation of EU legislation in the sphere of IP legal protection and enforcement. A separate direction is the drafting of proposals for national legislation on the development of innovative entrepreneurship, building an innovative ecosystem and commercialization of intellectual property, taking into account the EU best practices.
5. Efficient Protection of IP Rights
The vision of the IP Office in this direction lies in comprehensive steps to implement the forms and methods of IP rights protection provided for by law, in particular, through administrative proceedings. Promoting the introduction of alternative methods of IP rights enforcement, in particular mediation, including through the development of the Mediation Center at the IP Office. Active cooperation with Ukrainian and foreign stakeholders to prevent IP rights violations and implement sanctions policy. IPRs Infringement Monitoring Center functioning within the IP Office, strengthening its cooperation with the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, etc.
6. High-Quality Platform for IP Dialogue
It focuses on the IP Office activities as a high-quality platform for dialogue with right holders, business, creative industries, innovation entities, professional community, NGOs and governmental institutions to develop proposals on regulatory and legal regulation and improvement of the IP law enforcement, IP culture and awareness raising.
7. Innovation Breakthrough as a Basic Benchmark for Ukraine's Recovery and Development. National IP&Innovations Hub
The IP Office defines its vision in creating favorable conditions for inventive activity, commercialization of intellectual property rights and development of Ukraine's innovation ecosystem, development of tools to support innovators and businesses during the war and in the framework of Ukraine's recovery, promotion of innovation in the field of national security and defense in terms of intellectual property and technology transfer. As well as in promoting national businesses and creators to international markets through the functioning of the National IP&Innovations Hub, established within the IP Office. Expanding the TISC network and supporting regional projects of the TISC network. Strengthening the links between the national and international innovation systems.
8. Cultivating a Culture of Respect for IP
It is about the active position of the IP Office in shaping the culture and respect for intellectual property, in creating opportunities for lifelong learning on intellectual property to increase the level of literacy and development of culture in the field of intellectual property, awareness of the rights of artists, inventors, creators, primarily through the IP Academy within the IP Office. Consistent steps aimed at raising awareness, promoting respect for IP rights, and improving the skills of IP specialists, including in cooperation with the WIPO Academy and international partners, will contribute to the improvement of Ukraine's rankings in the Global Creativity Index, Global Innovation Index, and integration of the Ukrainian innovation ecosystem into the European Research Area.
9. Transparency of IP Office Activities
The vision of the IP Office in this direction is to achieve clarity and transparency of the current activities of the IP Office with the aim of qualitative and efficient performance of functions and powers defined by the current legislation and the Charter of the organization in the field of intellectual property and innovations on the basis of the rule of law, financial discipline, effective organization of internal control and audit, procurement procedures based on the principles of legality, transparency, efficiency, targeted use of funds and control, comprehensive compliance with the anti-corruption legislation.
For goals, objectives and indicators that define these directions and the Strategy as a whole, please refer to the full text of the document.
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