Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation signed between the Supreme Court and Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations

Cooperation between the Supreme Court and the State Organisation ‘Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations’, in particular through the organisation of joint events, will contribute to a better understanding of the issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights and awareness of the legal community of current trends in judicial practice in this area.

In addition, in the context of the European integration process, it is equally important to work together at the international level, as well as to ensure the translation of judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union in cases relating to intellectual property.

This was stated by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court, during a working meeting with UANIPIO representatives.

Olena Orliuk, UANIPIO Director, noted that the resolution of a significant number of intellectual property issues is impossible without the proactive position of the Supreme Court, therefore, cooperation between the Supreme Court and the UANIPIO is of utmost importance. In addition, such cooperation will help to increase trust in the judiciary and will allow to demonstrate to the international community that Ukraine is a civilised, high-tech state capable of ensuring proper protection of intellectual property rights.

Larysa Rohach, President of the Commercial Cassation Court of the Supreme Court, said that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is currently paying considerable attention to the development of intellectual property legislation, so the judiciary cannot stand aside and must actively continue to improve approaches to ensuring proper protection of the relevant rights. In addition, the initiative to establish the High Court on Intellectual Property has demonstrated the state's priorities in this area, and the existing experience of commercial courts has shown that specialisation in the consideration of cases of this category has proven to be effective and has contributed to the development of uniformity of case law.

Ihor Benedysiuk, Secretary of the Judicial Chamber for Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Antitrust and Competition Law of the Commercial Cassation Court of the Supreme Court, stressed that the joint efforts of the Supreme Court and UANIPIO are not only important in view of the need to draw attention to the importance of ensuring proper protection of intellectual property rights, but will also be a key to strengthening the economic potential of the state. The establishment of the High Court of Intellectual Property will undoubtedly contribute to this.

According to Rasim Babanly, First Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of the Department for Analytical and Legal Work of the Supreme Court, the fastest way to European integration is to implement the fundamental approaches reflected in the judgments of the EU Court of Justice into the practice of national courts. That is why the cooperation between the Supreme Court and UANIPIO in the translation of the CJEU judgments and their systematisation is significant.

During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Supreme Court and UANIPIO was signed, which provides, inter alia, for the organisation of joint scientific and practical events, development of methodological recommendations for consideration of intellectual property rights cases and promotion of out-of-court dispute resolution in the relevant category.

The event was also attended by Lina Hubar, Head of the Division for International Cooperation of the Supreme Court, Vladyslav Bilotskyi and Liubov Maidanyk, UANIPIO Deputy Directors, Khrystyna Posheliuzhna, Head of the UANIPIO Strategic Communications Department, and Oleksandra Kosenko, Head of the European Integration Processes Support Division of the UANIPIO International Cooperation Department.