Intellectual property as a tool for development, competitiveness and the use of audiovisual creations took center stage during the second edition of the Regional Conference on Intellectual Property and Creative Industries, held in Chisinau on September 29–30, 2026.

This year’s conference, held under the theme “Leveraging Intellectual Property tPotential in the Audiovisual Industry,” was organized by the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), with the support of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights – Enlargement and Neighbourhood” (EU4IP).

The event served as a regional platform for dialogue and the exchange of experience and best practices, bringing together representatives of public authorities and intellectual property offices, creators and producers, collective management organizations, and intellectual property professionals, as well as experts from the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo* (*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 22 July 2010), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, and Ukraine, alongside of representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the EUIPO.

The conference was opened by Natalia Mogol, Deputy Director of AGEPI, who welcomed the participants on behalf of the host institution and emphasized the event’s importance for strengthening the intellectual property ecosystem both in the Republic of Moldova and across the region.

Minister of Culture Dan Suruceanu, who attended the event, highlighted the importance of the audiovisual and film sectors for the development of the Republic of Moldova and for promoting the country at regional and international levels. At the same time, the Minister underscored the country’s creative potential and the need to harness it, including through the intellectual property system.

In his turn, Dumitru Vleju, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, encouraged participants to use the opportunity the Conference offered for dialogue and the exchange of experience and reaffirmed the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to helping ensure a predictable legal framework tailored to the needs of intellectual property creators and users in the Republic of Moldova.

The conference continued with addresses from Julda Kielyte, Team Leader for Competitive and Inclusive Growth at the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, and Tiago Guerreiro, an EUIPO representative, who commended the efforts and progress made by the Republic of Moldova in its European integration process and welcomed the country’s promotion of this regional initiative.

Contributors to the Conference dialogue included Virgiliu Mărgineanu, President of the Filmmakers’ Union of the Republic of Moldova; Valentina Iusuphodjaev, Director of the National Cinematography Center; Iurie Badicu, Head of the Artistic Management and Culturology Department at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts; and Florin Mihailov, Director of ALMA Agency SRL, alongside of experts and representatives of institutions and organizations across the participating countries.

Held in a hybrid format, the conference brought together approximately 180 participants, with over 80 attending in person in Chișinău and around 100 joining online.

A Space for Dialogue Among Institutions, Creators and the Industry

Over the course of the two days, discussions sought to address a central question: how can intellectual property become a more effective tool for developing a competitive and sustainable audiovisual industry?

Participants analyzed the legal framework applicable to audiovisual works, copyright and related rights, collective management mechanisms and rights management in national and international productions. Particular attention was paid to cross-border productions and co-productions, where regional experiences highlighted both the opportunities involved and the need for clear, predictable legal and institutional mechanisms.

Digital Transformation and New Challenges for Intellectual Property Rights

A key pillar of the Conference was the impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on audiovisual creation. Discussions covered rights management in the digital environment, technological protection measures, new distribution and monetization models (streaming, video-on-demand), and the need to strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting the interests of creators and rightholders.

Beyond Copyright: Leveraging the Full Spectrum of Intellectual Property in the Audiovisual Industry

On the second day, discussions expanded to cover the leveraging of the entire intellectual property portfolio: trademarks and industrial designs, brand development linked to films, digital content and characters, as well as licensing and monetization strategies. The approach demonstrated that an audiovisual production can generate a complex set of rights, the strategic management of which contributes to increasing commercial value.

Cooperation for More Effective Protection in the Digital Environment

Another key topic of the Conference was the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the digital environment. Participants analyzed the challenges posed by online piracy and cross-border rights infringements, emphasizing the need for cooperation among authorities, collective management organizations, streaming platforms, internet service providers, and rightholders to ensure effective rights protection.

From Sharing Experience to Joint Action

The Conference concluded with an interactive roundtable dedicated to strengthening the audiovisual sector through the effective use of intellectual property. During this session, participants identified current barriers, solutions for a balanced copyright system and priority actions at national and regional levels, focusing on institutional cooperation, capacity building and raising awareness among creators and rightholders.

A Regional Platform for Developing the Audiovisual Ecosystem

The second edition of the Conference reaffirmed the value of ongoing regional dialogue among all stakeholders in the audiovisual industry, including public authorities, creators, producers and distributors, collective management organizations, as well as users and consumers of audiovisual content. For AGEPI, the event represents a contribution to strengthening an ecosystem where intellectual property is viewed not merely as a mechanism for protecting creative work, but also as a tool for economic development and enhancing the competitiveness of the creative industries.