CIPR-Latvia Works as Expert in IP Council

October 11, 2005

On October 11, 2005, Latvia's Cabinet of Ministers supported the proposal of the Ministry of Justice to create Intellectual Property Council, in which CIPR will actively participate.

The Intellectual Property Council will be headed by the Prime Minister and will consist of the ministers of Justice, Culture, Agriculture, Economy, Education and Science, Interior and Finance, the Prosecutor General and a representative of the Supreme Court.

The Council will coordinate mechanism in the area of intellectual property policymaking and will include an Expert Group consisting representatives of IPR organizations such as the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), the Association of Patent Attorneys, AKKA/LAA, the Association of Latvian Music Producers, the Latvian Committee of the Organization for Software Copyright Protection "Business Software Alliance," the Latvian Performers and Producers Association, as well as representatives from the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The rightsholders should greatly benefit from the work of the Council, as it should create better environment for the use of IP assets in Latvia, including in terms of protection," says CIPR Representative in Baltic States Romans Baumanis.

The Intellectual Property Council, Secretariat and Expert Group began working on 1 January 2006.