Ukraine is in the active process of improving and aligning national legislation on trademarks and industrial design with the EU acquis. This year we prepared draft by-laws regulating trade mark examination and granting trade mark certificates which broadly harmonise with EU best practices.

Also, on 1 May 2024, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine approved the new Rules for industrial designs which implemented the provisions of EU acquis on filling industrial design applications and examination procedures.

Bogdan Paduchak, the First Deputy Director of the Ukrainian IP Office, informed the international IP community about this during the 65th series of meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on July 11, 2024. He delivered a statement on behalf of the Ukrainian delegation during the discussion on agenda item 10 (iii) “The Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT)”.

The Delegation of Ukraine is very interested in the protection of country names and geographical names of national significance.

“We would be glad to have an opportunity to provide our national practice during an insightful Information Session on Nation Brands in Member States”, – noted Bogdan Paduchak, urging the WIPO Secretariat and member states to continue discussing approaches to determining the scope of country names and state symbols imitation.

«In this context, we will be delighted to further share our practice on the newly established Commission within our IP Office, which grants permission to use the official name and international letter code of the state “Ukraine” in a trademark and/or to include an imitation of the small State Emblem of Ukraine in the trademark. This Commission, under my chairmanship, operates on the basis of the Ukrainian IP office”, – emphasized Bogdan Paduchak.

He also reiterate our strong objection against the continued misuse of WIPO resources by Russia, who attempt to legitimize its military occupation, including providing false information about the addresses of applicants from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine through global IP services such as Madrid and Hague systems.

“We emphasize that WIPO, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, should ensure full compliance with United Nations resolutions on the commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” – Bogdan Paduchak stated.

This call to WIPO was supported by the delegations of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Ukraine will continue to insist on the need to make effective and final decisions on the unlawful indication of the addresses of applicants from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on WIPO platforms.

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