The Workshop on Application of Legislation in the Field of Intellectual Property was held from December 18 to 20, in Chisinau, an event organized by the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) within the Department of Commerce of the United States of America in cooperation with the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI).
Delegates from the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine and Romania participated in the workshop, reconfirming the importance of strengthening efforts to enforce intellectual property rights (IPR), both at borders and in internal markets. Among the participants from the Republic of Moldova were representatives of AGEPI, the National Investigation Inspectorate of the GPI, the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection, as well as the Customs Service.
During the opening ceremony, Eugeniu Rusu, Director General of AGEPI, emphasized the importance of inter-institutional and inter-governmental cooperation to strengthen the IPR enforcement system, essential for innovation and progress.
“We have a shared responsibility to protect intellectual property rights. Through the exchange of best practices and knowledge, we strengthen our abilities to face challenges in the field of intellectual property rights enforcement. This workshop is not only a learning opportunity, but also a forum for the coordination/initiation of common strategies in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy”, stated Eugeniu Rusu.
Nicolae Vutcariov, Deputy Director of the Customs Service, added that the service he represents plays an essential role in protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the holders of intellectual property rights. He also pointed out that during the previous year, 46 batches of counterfeit goods were detained, with more than 40,000 units, which highlights the importance of efforts to combat this phenomenon.
During three days, national and international experts shared knowledge with the participants regarding the security features applied to original goods, the methodology for distinguishing genuine goods from counterfeit ones and the identification of shipments of counterfeit goods. Panel discussions covered topics such as current trends in counterfeiting, recycling seized products, and working with the private sector to combat counterfeiting and piracy.
The last day of the workshop included a field visit to Chisinau Customs Post 1 (Industrial), where participants had the opportunity to better understand the practical application of the procedures and measures to enforce intellectual property rights by the customs authority.
*The CLDP Program is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established in 1992. It advances U.S. foreign policy goals in developing and post-conflict countries through commercial legal reforms. The CLDP program provides intergovernmental technical assistance, involving experienced regulators, judges, policymakers, business leaders and attorney, from both the public and private sectors.
