Publication: Jauna avize
Date: October 25, 2000
Author: Inguna Skepaste
Article: Concern for Intellectual property

A conference on intellectual property protection in the Baltic region will turn its primary attention to problems associated with counterfeiting, unfair use of trademarks and patent violations.

Seminar organizers - the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) - believe that these problems influence consumers, the state and the business environment in financial, as well as other terms. Moreover, besides financial losses to company and the state budgets, consumer health and safety are also at risk.

To seek solutions, CIPR is organizing this week's conference, at which government officials from the Baltic states, judges and intellectual property specialists are assembled to work out common strategies for the fight against trademark counterfeiting and patent violations with European and US government as well as private sector representatives from world-renowned companies.

"The observance of intellectual property, trademark and patent rights is an essential aspect of the integration of the Baltic states into the European Union," acknowledged Mary-Ann Alford, CIPR Executive Policy Committee chair on the opening day of the conference.

Alford pointed out that all three Baltic states currently have legislation on the books which are in line with international treaties and standards.

"But legislation alone does not ensure an effective regime. What is needed is honest and effective implementation of existing laws in practice, and its observance in fair adjudication processes," added Alford.

As CIPR has observed, the main concern in the intellectual property field is to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the marketplace, because the fight against distribution of such goods is much more difficult.

CIPR is preparing to launch a research survey to determine the extent of losses sustained by state treasuries and businesses in the Baltic states due to the distribution of counterfeit goods. Similar surveys have been conducted in Russia and Ukraine, indicating that one country's enterprises experience annual losses worth $1.5 billion USD.