Transcript Patents in Latvia – XXI Cenutry Guntis Ramans Latvian Patent Office
Patents in Latvia – XXI Cenutry
Guntis Ramans Latvian Patent Office Vilnius, 13.09.2007
Patents in
Latvia
–
XXI Century Where we are?
Do we have influence from global changes in patent system?
What we do?
What should we do?
Where
we are?
Number of applications per year filed in LPO 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 Appl-LPO Resident
Where
we are?
Patent life time 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 3 5 7 9 11 13 P In force
Where
we are?
Average duration of patents -
6 years
Licensing activity -
150 in 15 years
Court cases -
18 in 15 years
Where
we are?
Resident filings per million Population in FI and LV 114 / 1813 12 / 1863 9 / 1678 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Nat. Appl.
PCT EP LV FI
Where
we are?
Improve
or
stand?
Economic growth is fundamental for the welfare of modern society, is determined by a number of factors, among which enterprise, competitiveness and innovation are those most important.
Patents are a driving force for promoting innovation, growth and competitiveness. The more inventions, the more inventors the more value generated through inventions mean that more value can be extracted from patent protection.
Improve
or
stand?
The less developed countries have a fundamental interest in unrestricted access to technology under the most favourable possible conditions. It is not surprising that the history of economic development reveals that no country has enjoyed substantial benefits as a result of patent protection for inventions. On the contrary, it is well known that the very absence of modern patent system, i.e. unrestricted copying of foreign inventions, allowed Japan, Korea and Taiwan to achieve economic success" [1] .
[1] Richard Gerster, "Patents and Development, Lessons Learnt from the Economic History of Switherland, TWN, 2001, p.6.
Improve
or
stand?
From the interview with Ms Alison Brimelow, President of the EPO: "The larger the financial resources of a company are, the easier it is for them to participate in the game. I am seriously worried about the consequences for SMEs". That is very important for us because 99.5% of our enterprises are SMEs.
Do we feel
influence of processes
which occur in the world or Europe?
We feel:
- Prices for medicines;
-
Open Source Software supporters;
We do not feel: -
Patent pools;
-
Crosslicensing;
-
Patent trolls.
What are we
doing?
Basic Approaches for the IP Protection and Requirements for the years 2007 – 2012: - increase the level of protection of innovations; - reduce the infringements of IP; - promote the awareness of society about IP Innovation support centres were established in main universities of Latvia with the assistance of the Ministry of Economics.
What sould we do
in future?
Patent Office Strategic plan for years 2008 – 2012: - the guide and support of enterprises (SME) to strengthen IP protection; -the training and other services to enterprises and universities which would help them solve the problems and difficulties arising in obtaining IP protection; -improve and facilitate access to information; -improve our administrative procedures such as introducing online filing (with assistance of the EPO) and online access to the legal status information of patents.