Collaboration in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy in

Slovakia

9th MARS Group meeting Bratislava, September 13 – 15, 2011

Ing. Darina KyliánováPresident of the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic

President of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for the Coordination of Cooperation in the Fight Against Counterfeiting and Piracy

Challenges for the Government

Infringement of IPRs

• Globalisation and new technologies

• Increasing number of infringement cases

• Increasing profit margin for infringers

• Fake products are cheaper general acceptance of

counterfeiting and piracy by the public

Impacts of counterfeiting

• Loss of employment

• Damage to reputation and image

• Risks to health and safety

• Loss of tax revenues

• Stifling of innovation, entrepreneurship and business

initiatives

Challenges for the Government

Problems

• Lack of reliable statistical data and methodology

• Numerous government agencies and bodies, divided

competences

• Need of a co-operative partner for the NGOs and

rightholder interest groups on the governmental side

Challenges for the Government

European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy

• Council Resolution of 25 September 2008 on a comprehensive European anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy plan - invited the Commission to set up a European counterfeiting and piracy observatory

• Commission Communication of 11 September 2009 on enhancing the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market – basic roles and tasks of the Observatory

• Council Resolution of 1 March 2010 on the Enforcement of Intellectual property rights in the internal market – defines other key activities

EU response

European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy

• Central resource for gathering, monitoring and reporting information and data related to all IPR infringements

• Platform for cooperation between representatives from

national authorities and stakeholders to exchange ideas and expertise on best practices, to develop joint enforcement strategies and to make recommendations to policy-makers

Recent developments

• Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation and support provided by the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) to the European Commission to deliver the tasks of the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy in relation to the protection of trademark and design rights

• Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on entrusting the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) with certain tasks related to the protection of intellectual property rights, including the assembling of public and private sector representatives as a European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy

Establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for the

Coordination of Cooperation in the Fight Against Counterfeiting and Piracy

Government Resolution No.198 of 16 March 2011

Secretariat: Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic

Our response

• Promote effective cooperation between public authorities and social and economic interest organisations in the field of intellectual property protection

Inter-Ministerial Commission

Mission of the Commission

• Enhance the IPR Protection and Enforcement at national level

Tasks• National focal point for European Observatory on

Counterfeiting and Piracy - Coordination of information exchange

• Elaborating of national anti-counterfeiting strategy and action plan

• Initiating awareness-raising and explanatory programmes and campaigns

• Training for the staff of enforcement and judicial agencies• Proposals concerning the legislative and regulatory activity

serving the enforcement of IPRs• Support for Info IPR Portal (http://www.dusevnevlastnictvo.gov.sk)

Inter-Ministerial Commission

www.upv.sk

Members

• Ministry of Finances• Ministry of Culture• Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development • Ministry of Justice • Ministry of Interior • Ministry of Health • Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Customs Administration • General Prosecution • Slovak Trade Inspection

Inter-Ministerial Commission

Composition of the Commission

• Chairman: the President of IPO SR• Vice-chairmen: the representative of Customs

Administration• Members: representatives of governmental

institutions • Secretariat and budget: IPO SR

Inter-Ministerial Commission

Operation of the Commission:

• Meetings of the Commission:– first meeting: 1 July 2011– second meeting: November 2011

• Elaborating a national anti-counterfeiting strategy

Inter-Ministerial Commission

Related activities

• Workshops for police, customs, judges• IP Institute – educational programme• Advisory assistance for SMEs – IP Prediagnostics• On-request services for Bussiness Info Centers,

Chamber of Commerce, Universities, etc.• Publishing activities• Website

Thank you for your attention !