Theme on Intellectual Property and Competition gathered, on October 19th, representatives from AGEPI, Competition Council and Agency for Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance and EU Project experts at a national seminar. The event was opened by the Team Leader of EU Project „Support to Enforcement of the Intellectual Property Rights” in the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Maximilian Foedinger, and AGEPI General Director, Ms. Lilia Bolocan.

Mr. Maximilian Foedinger, the EU Project Team Leader, stated that competition is the key to business viability and an important element of the market rules. ”Nowadays, one must constantly seek for its own distinguishing mark and be one step ahead of their ideas and innovations. In circumstances of severe competition, entrepreneurs therefore need to increase their competitiveness and recognisability. A sign of business vitality is its competitiveness”, Mr. Maximilian Foedinger said.

The AGEPI General Director, Ms. Lilia Bolocan, stressed that under the conditions of a free competition-based economy, it is very important to establish clear and effective rules to combat unfair competition. “Competitiveness needs to be stimulated systematically, encouraging all producers to develop new technologies and offer new products. To the achievement of these goals, fully contribute intellectual property objects, which make it possible to distinguish both between producers and the products offered by them, serving as a means of protection in the sphere of trade and, at the same time, as a source of consumer information on products and producers”, Ms. Lilia Bolocan noted.

The EU Project experts Mr. Knud Wallberg and Mr. Erling Vestergaard explained why trademarks and brand names are vital for all types of businesses and how to obtain trademark protection in EU. Also, they talked about copyright, related rights and industrial design protection, as well on the nature of the exclusivity of Intellectual Property in the digital environment, trade and repackaging of pharmaceuticals.

The overall objective of seminar was to raise awareness of the institutions in the Republic of Moldova, including Competition Council, about the importance of IP to society, the dangers of IPR infringements to the population and how perceived conflicts between IP and competition legislation.

The EU Project ” Support to Enforcement of the Intellectual Property Rights” in the Republic of Moldova is funded by the European Union and implemented by Consortium of Archidata LLC (Italy), European Profiles S.C. (Greece) and Business and Strategies in Europe (Belgium). The project has a duration of two years and ends in November 2018.