Workshop on IPR enforcement held in Sarajevo: Intellectual property rights protection system strong driver of economic development and safety for companies and consumers

Sarajevo, November 8, 2023 - Workshop on the enforcement of intellectual property rights was held on November 7 and 8, 2023 in Sarajevo, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Welcome speeches to the participants of the workshop were given by the director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip Merdžo, and the senior legal counsellor at WIPO, Xavier Vermandele, who also spoke in the introductory topic of the workshop. Emphasized was the importance of intellectual property rights enforcement, i.e. the existence of a strong legal framework and system for the protection of intellectual property rights as a strong driver of economic, social and cultural development, which attracts investments from domestic and foreign sources and significantly contributes to the GDP of developed countries.

Senior Legal Counsellor Vermandele also presented the international legal framework for the IPR enforcement, respectively Part III of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), while Irma Delibašić, a trademark examiner from the Institute for Intellectual Property of BiH, gave a general overview of IP rights.

Evelin Lorena Ciego Guzman from the World Customs Organization (WCO) spoke about the measures taken at the borders, and Monica Pop, a prosecutor from Romania, and Vlatko Marinović, a legal expert from Mostar, about the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses against intellectual property and related criminal offences, as well as on the enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet.

Romana Matanovac Vučković from the University of Zagreb gave an introduction to the topic in which state strategies for the enforcement of intellectual property rights were considered.

Senior legal advisor at WIPO, Xavier Vermandele, spoke about public-private initiatives to combat infringement of intellectual property rights on the Internet, and Anisa Tomić from the organization REACT Balkan spoke about the role of rights holders in the enforcement of rights.

In the framework of the workshop, the Manual for law enforcement bodies and prosecutors "Infringement of rights in the field of intellectual property - investigative and procedural actions" was also presented.

Successful prosecution of infringers of intellectual property rights acts as a strong deterrent and protects companies and creators from unfair competition, and provides protection to consumers from low-quality and potentially dangerous counterfeit goods, it was one of the emphasis of the two-day workshop on IPR enforcement.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Indirect Tax Administration, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), as well as numerous other representatives of institutions for the enforcement of intellectual property rights from all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Also, the Interagency Co-operation Body for the Acquisition and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina (MTS).

MTS is composed of representatives of institutions competent for intellectual property rights enforcement at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and representatives of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an institution competent for conducting expert and administrative work in the field of intellectual property.

According to the Strategy for the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, MTS is in charge of strengthening inter-institutional cooperation by initiating and coordinating activities in the field of acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim of establishing and operating a comprehensive intellectual property system compatible with the system that exists in the European Union.