The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) and the Anti-Counterfeiting Association REACT of Romania organized on September 29, a seminar in the field of protection of intellectual property rights and the fight against counterfeiting. The event brought together representatives of institutions from the Republic of Moldova, such as the General Police Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Customs Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection and the Courts Administration Agency.

The main aim of the seminar was to provide practical information essential for identifying counterfeit or suspected counterfeit products, as well as for developing effective solutions to combat this growing phenomenon.

In the opening of the event, the Director General of AGEPI, Eugeniu Rusu, emphasized the fundamental importance of protecting intellectual property rights in the Republic of Moldova and the need for close cooperation between government institutions, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to effectively combat the phenomenon of counterfeiting.

During the seminar, Natalia Mogol, Deputy Director General of AGEPI, addressed the general principles on the protection of trademarks in the Republic of Moldova, offering the participants a deeper understanding of the aspects related to intellectual property.

The participants in the seminar initiated an active dialogue, exploring ways of access of counterfeit goods to the market, methods of identifying these products, as well as the specifics of marketing strategies of large companies. The measures to counter the phenomenon of counterfeiting were also discussed. A significant aspect of the event consisted in the opportunity for the participants to familiarize themselves with the specific details for identifying the original products of prestigious companies such as Puma, Samsung, Adidas, Apple, Zegna and others.

The seminar benefited from the presence of approximately 40 specialists from the institutions responsible for the enforcement of intellectual property rights, thus marking an important step in the efforts to combat counterfeiting and protect intellectual property rights in the Republic of Moldova. The event highlighted the joint commitment of AGEPI and the REACT Association to promote a legal and fair market in the field of intellectual property.