Institute marked World Intellectual Property Day
Mostar, April 26, 2017 – Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina marked World Intellectual Property Day - April 26th with reception and special program at the Mepas Hotel in Mostar as well as with the Doors Open Day at the head office of the Institute in Mostar and branch offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.
Present at the reception in Mostar were, among others, prime minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Nevenko Herceg, president of the Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Marko Šantić, general director of the Professional Service of the Association of Composers - Music Makers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AMUS) Lejla Trnčić, president of the Association of Film Industry (UFI ) Antonio Beus, representative of the Association of Performers and Players (AIS) Svjetlana Guja and director of the Association for the Protection of Phonogram Producers "Phonogram" Amra Škaljo.
Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property Josip Merdžo introduced the attendees with Institute's work, its jurisdiction and legislative framework, pointing out that Bosnia and Herzegovina is full-fledged member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and that activities are under way to ensure that in the family of the European patent Organization (EPO) current status of the country of enlargement BiH improves into the status of full membership.
Director Merdžo specifically stressed Institute's task of raising public awareness on intellectual property. “All aspects of intellectual property are given special importance globally. Task of the Institute is to bring this awareness to a higher level”, Merdžo said and reminded of the international seminar held in Mostar last November on the subject of the development of intellectual property policies at universities and research and development institutions, attended by lecturers from Geneva and representatives of all countries of the region, cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Mostar through visits of the students to the Institute where they were introduced to the procedures applied for the protection of intellectual property and the participation of the Institute at the recently held Economic Fair in Mostar, which should result in cooperation with chambers of commerce through the protection of all intellectual property elements that can be applied to products and services of small and medium-sized enterprises.
In Institute's plans for this year is organization of another professional seminar focusing on technical sciences that will include technical faculties from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this project, too, support will be provided by experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization and European Patent Organization.
Expert assistant at the Institute for Intellectual Property Miroslav Marić spoke about signs of distinction (trademark, industrial design, indications of geographical origin), legal framework for their protection and jurisdiction of the Institute in this regard: implementation of administrative procedures for acquisition, maintenance and termination of rights.
Expert assistant at the Institute Spomenka Šego spoke about patent protection system. She mentioned, among other things, rights acquired by patent, terms for patent protection of an invention, cautioned of the right of priority and that invention should not be published before the filing of patent application. She also emphasized that no products in which invention is incorporated should be marketed before the filing of patent application.
Today, at the head office of the Institute in Mostar, as well as at branch offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, Doors Open Day was held, when Institute staff, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., provided information on intellectual property and its protection to all those interested.
The motto under which this year's intellectual property day is commemorated in the world is: Innovation - Improving Lives. In his letter, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization Francis Gurry, whose position is Assistant to Secretary General of the UN, emphasized that innovation lies at the heart of our social and economic well-being.
World Intellectual Property Day was established in 2000 when World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) member states designated April 26th - the day WIPO Convention came into force in 1970 - as the World Intellectual Property Day with the aim of increasing general understanding of IP.
