Diplomatic conference dedicated to the signing of the "Protocol for the Protection of Industrial Designs in the Eurasian Patent Convention" was held on September 9 in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Delegations of the Member States of the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Intellectual Property Office, the European Patent Office, as well as international experts in the field of intellectual property participated in the event. Diplomatic conference was organized on the 25^th anniversary of the signing of the Convention. A delegation led by the Chairman of Board of the Intellectual Property Agency Mr. Kamran Imanov represented our country at the event.

At the opening of the event Mrs. Saule Tlevlessova, President of the Eurasian Patent Organization addressed the event. She thanked the Republic of Kazakhstan for the assistance in the organization of the conference, noting the importance of intellectual property for the economy of the EAPO member-states, stressed that the share of the creative industry in the GDP of these states, which includes industrial designs, is about 3%.

Then a video message of the Director General of the WIPO Francis Gurry was presented. Congratulating the participants and guests on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Eurasian Patent Convention, F.Gurry emphasized the importance of the Convention in establishing an effective patent protection system on a single patent, and thanked the EAPO for its longstanding partnership and organization of the diplomatic conference.

Then the rules of procedure for the conference were adopted. Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan Marat Beketayev was elected Chairman of the Diplomatic Conference, Chairman of Board of Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Imanov and Head of the Federal Service on Intellectual Property of the Russian Federation Grigory Iliyev were elected as Deputy Chairman.

The conference adopted the text of the "Protocol for the Protection of Industrial Designs in the Eurasian Patent Convention" and the final act of the Diplomatic Conference. Then, in accordance with the existing competences of the delegations, the Protocol was signed by the representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Armenia. The protocol was signed by Kamran Imanov on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The adoption of the Protocol for the Protection of Industrial Designs has been unanimously supported by all Member States. Conference participants highly appreciated the potential of the Protocol for the development of the Eurasian patent system and expressed confidence that this would be a new phase of cooperation in the field of intellectual property.

Addressing the conference, K. Imanov congratulated the conference participants and the EAPO team on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Eurasian Patent Convention, and thanked Mrs. Tlevlesova for her great contribution to the development of the organization during her presidency. He noted the signing of the Protocol as an increase in the authority of the organization, noting that the EAPO has grown into a strong regional organization for 25 years, increasing the interest of its inventors every year, and that currently there are 1304 Eurasian patents in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He praised the signing of the Protocol as an increase in the authority of the organization, noting that within 25 years, the EAPO has grown into a strong regional organization, increasing the interest of its inventors every year. He noted that currently there are 1304 Eurasian patents in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and 39 Azerbaijani patents are registered at EAPO.

The Head of the Agency noted that each country owes its people to its unique image, while the greatness of the nation is formed by the qualities that constitute the greatness and dignity of individuals. Intellectual property also stems from the creativity of national authors and inventors. Just as a unique natural human resource, creativity and innovation reflect the achievements of not only individuals, but, above all, the only source of national cultural heritage and intellectual treasure.

In his speech, he further emphasized that innovative development of the country, ensuring efficiency of economic reforms in the country is impossible without the development of intellectual property system. That is why the tasks facing the national intellectual property system are determined by the innovative, reforming policy of the country and serve to bring about change in the country. In modern innovative economies, innovation is a key factor of production, based on intellectual capital as a resource and providing technological, intellectual and informative rent as a source of wealth.

At the end of his speech, K. Imanov wished success to the Eurasian Patent Organization and expressed his confidence that the signing of the Protocol would serve a common purpose - the development of intellectual property, in particular, the inventive and creative activities of representatives of the peoples of the Member States.

It should be noted that the "Protocol for the Protection of Industrial Designs in the Eurasian Patent Convention" was adopted for the protection of an industrial design on the basis of a single Eurasian patent on the territory of 8 Member States. The Protocol aims at expanding the Eurasian Industrial Protection System for Industrial Property, creating an Interstate System for the Protection of Industrial Designs on the basis of a single Eurasian Patent in the territories of all signatories, promoting their domestic market and developing their trade and investment activities.

The comments and suggestions of the Azerbaijani side were based on the revision of the general text of the Protocol as well as Articles 3, 11 and 14 of special importance. For example, according to Article 3, the description or recognizable parts of cultural (including ethnic or religious) heritage objects that duplicate or imitate official symbols (including state symbols and signs) without the consent of the competent authorities of the Contracting States, such solutions affecting the interests of the Contracting States shall not be legally protected as industrial designs. Article 11 defines the procedure for invalidation of a Eurasian patent for an industrial design and allows the national patent office to apply for the invalidation of a Eurasian patent. Article 14 sets out the rules for objecting to the litigation published in the course of consideration of the Eurasian claims for industrial designs.

These provisions allow us to oppose the protection of Eurasian Patent Organization member states in any industrial design affecting our country, also not to protect such industrial designs in our country.

In general, the Protocol facilitates the misappropriation of the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people as an industrial design in any form. In addition, fees and payments associated with the protection of an industrial design protected by a single patent for Eurasia will play a role in increasing the country's revenue. At the same time, individuals and legal entities of the Republic of Azerbaijan will achieve legal protection and easier marketing of their industrial designs in the eight member countries based on a single claim document and payment of fees and payments to a single agency.

After the entry into force of the Protocol, the Eurasian Patent for Industrial Design will be effective in the territory of all EAPO member states that have ratified or acceded to the Protocol. It will be possible to obtain a patent already in force in several countries in a "one stop shop" format, thus making it possible to file Eurasian Patent Office application directly to the Eurasian Patent Office by paying a single procedural fee. The Eurasian Patent Claims Act may also be converted into a national claim. Thus, intellectual property owners, representatives of business circles and entrepreneurs will receive legal protection of their industrial designs in the territories of the contracting states. Director General of the WIPO is the depositary of the Protocol.

It should be noted that the days of the Diplomatic Conference were memorable for the Azerbaijani side. The award for this victory was given by the decision of the Eurasian Patent Organization to the representative of the Scientific Research Institute of Management Systems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Abbas Rzayev, by Chairman of Board of Intellectual Property Agency, Dr. Kamran Imanov.

The results of the Azerbaijani students in the first age group should also be noted. According to the results of the contest, Jamila Alizadeh and Alesker Tarverdiyev, the pupils of the high school named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva under the Ministry of Education, won the first age category (from age 10 to 17). Jury to the highest place awarded their joint project of «Application of bio Plato for water purification of water reservoirs». The award of the Universiade was presented to J. Alizadeh, who attended the event, and Natalya Gurbanova, her team leader biology teacher of high school.