The Director General of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), Eugeniu Rusu, participated from October 1 to 2, 2024 in the High-Level Conference on Intellectual Property, held in Budapest, under the auspices of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event was organized by the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office and brought together intellectual property leaders, international experts, policy makers and representatives of specialized organizations from Europe and around the world.

The main theme of the conference, “Intellectual Property in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, was approached from multiple perspectives, giving participants the opportunity to explore the impact that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is having on the protection and management of intellectual property rights. During the presentations and roundtables, issues related to how AI influences innovation processes, the creation of new products and services, as well as their legal regulation were discussed. There was also a focus on the emerging challenges of enforcing intellectual property (IP) law in an increasingly digitized context.

In his intervention, Eugeniu Rusu emphasized the importance of a legal framework adapted to new technologies and the role of intellectual property offices in supporting innovators and businesses, especially in the context of the integration of artificial intelligence in the processes of creation and protection of inventions. He emphasized the need for international cooperation to ensure balanced and effective protection of intellectual property rights globally.

Keynote guests at the conference included Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, who opened the event with a speech on the importance of innovation in the digital age, and Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), who discussed global initiatives in IP and AI. António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office, and João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, also contributed with valuable insights into how European offices approach the integration of AI into their operational processes.

The event provided participants with the opportunity not only to explore the relationship between intellectual property and emerging technologies, but also to discuss the policies and strategies needed to meet future challenges in the field of intellectual property rights protection. Also, the conference was an important opportunity to strengthen international cooperation between the member states of the European Union and other countries, with a view to harmonizing legislation and exchanging best practices in the field of intellectual property.