The Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO/Ukrainian IP office) and the Supreme Court are to collaborate on developing the intellectual property rights prosecution and innovation, proposing improvements to legislation, and working together to enhance the professional level of specialists and judges.
The respective intentions are outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation signed on 21 March 2025. The document was signed by the President of the Supreme Court, Stanislav Kravchenko, and the Director of UANIPIO, Olena Orliuk.
According to President Kravchenko, cooperation between the Supreme Court and UANIPIO, particularly through the organisation of joint events, will contribute to a better understanding of issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights and increase awareness among the legal community about current trends in judicial practice in this area.
According to the President of the Supreme Court, 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 intellectual property-related cases.
Ms Orliuk emphasised that the signing of this memorandum is strategically important for UANIPIO practices.
“From the very beginning of the Ukrainian IP Office’s activities, we have taken a proactive stance on IP rights protection, as we understand its impact on the country’s attractiveness for innovation. Intellectual property is a significant part of intangible assets, which form up to 70-80% of the capitalisation of modern companies. We are also preparing for large-scale legislative changes, including the harmonisation of national legislation with EU law. This will involve, among other things, a new system of trademark registration, which is expected to lead to an increase in litigation, as the qualification examination will be cancelled. It is planned that by the end of this year, the Government will submit to the Parliament a package of legislative changes that will also affect the formation of court practice,” said the Director of UANIPIO.
She thanked the leadership of the Supreme Court for its support and willingness to collaborate, particularly in promoting European approaches to resolving intellectual property disputes.
“Together, we can increase trust in the judicial system and demonstrate to our international partners that Ukraine is a civilised, high-tech, creative country with an effective legal framework and a high level of law enforcement,” says Ms Orliuk.
The meeting participants also emphasised the urgency of establishing the High Intellectual Property Court (IP Court), as this issue remains a crucial component of judicial reform and a key priority for enhancing the protection of rights, in line with Ukraine’s full EU membership. The need to ensure the functioning of the IP Court is mentioned in the European Commission’s reports on Ukraine as part of the Enlargement Package for 2023 and 2024. The issue of launching an IP Court was also considered during the screening of Ukraine’s legislation for compliance with EU law, as part of the negotiations on Chapter 7, “Intellectual Property Law,” which took place on 10–11 December 2024 in Brussels.
Larysa Rohach, President of the Commercial Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, noted that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is currently paying considerable attention to the development of intellectual property legislation; therefore, the judiciary cannot stand aside and must actively continue to improve its approaches to ensuring proper protection of the relevant rights. In addition, the initiative to establish the High Intellectual Property Court has demonstrated the State’s priorities in this area, and the existing experience of commercial courts has shown that specialisation in considering cases of this category has proven effective and contributed to the development of uniform judicial practice.
Ihor Benedysiuk, Secretary of the Judicial Chamber for Intellectual Property Rights Protection, Antitrust and Competition Law Cases of the Commercial Cassation Court within 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 Intellectual Property Court will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to this.
Liubov Maidanyk, Deputy Director of UANIPIO, emphasised that the functioning of the High Intellectual Property Court is closely linked to economic factors, as it is important to demonstrate in the international arena that Ukraine pays due attention to the protection of intellectual property rights and is ready to attract investment. At the same time, the liquidation of the specialised court could send a negative signal to international partners.
Vladyslav Bilotskyi, Deputy Director of UANIPIO, also advocates for the launch of the High Intellectual Property Court as soon as possible. This issue is of strategic importance for the processes of European integration and cooperation with other countries.
Per the memorandum, the key areas of cooperation are:
As part of the memorandum, the parties also plan to intensify cooperation, involving international experts and organisations, to develop best practices in law enforcement in Ukraine. One of the priorities will be to work together to harmonise Ukrainian legislation with international standards in the field of intellectual property.
Photos: the Supreme Court.
Read also:
No Comments