On 3–4 April 2024, the first round of negotiations between Ukraine and the States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) regarding revising the provisions of the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EFTA States took place.

Within the Chapter “Protection of Intellectual Property” for the first round of negotiations, the following issues were discussed:

• international intellectual property agreements related to the EFTA Agreement,
• various aspects of the legal protection of copyright and related rights,
• designations that could be used as trademarks within the context of the EFTA Agreement,
• expansion of trademark protection tools,
• objects that are excluded from patent protection,
• features of additional protection of inventions,
• clarification of provisions regarding the legal protection of industrial designs.

On the Ukrainian side, the following persons participated in negotiating the provisions under the Chapter “Protection of Intellectual Property:”

• Inna Shatova, Deputy Head of the Department of Intellectual Property and Innovations – Head of the State Intellectual Property Policy Unit of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine;
• Bogdan Paduchak, First Deputy Director of the IP Office;
• Mykola Potoskyy, Advisor to the Director of the IP Office;
• Liubov Maidanyk, Head of the Copyright and Related Rights Development Department within the IP Office;
• Andrii Zozuliuk, Head of the International Cooperation Department within the IP Office.

For reference:

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a free trade area that unites the customs territories of four European countries that have not joined the EU: the Republic of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation.

The Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EFTA States is an international agreement, concluded on 24 June 2010 in Reykjavík and ratified by the Law of Ukraine of 7 December 2011, “On the Ratification of the Agreement on Free Trade between Ukraine and the EFTA States, the Agreement on agriculture between Ukraine and the Kingdom of Norway, Agreements on agriculture between Ukraine and Iceland and Agreements on agriculture between Ukraine and the Swiss Confederation,” No. 4091.

Further readings:

Harmonization of legislation with the EU acquis is the basis for innovative development and economic recovery of the country, – Olena Orliuk at the meeting with European colleagues

EU-Ukraine: Explanatory meeting on intellectual property within the official screening of European Commission