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Ukraine Celebrates as USTR Lifts Trade Sanctions
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IP Conference in Ukraine, Alushta on September 6, 2005
From left to right: Mr. Valentyn Chebotaryov, Deputy Chairman of the State Department of Intellectual Property; Mr. Mykola Paladiy, Chairman of the State Department of Intellectual Property; Mr. Johan Amand — representative of the European Patent Bureau
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In Ukraine, intellectual property right protection and enforcement has become a priority for the Government as it seeks to become more integrated into the West. Ukraine's goal of WTO accession has been a major driver for IP legislative and regulatory reform.
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Mr. Mykola Paladiy, Chairman of the State Department of Intellectual Property
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The joint efforts of the Ukrainian Government and the business community, including CIPR, have recently resulted in the adoption of essential amendments to the Optical Discs Law by the Ukrainian Parliament. The amendments, which came into force on August 2nd, 2005, more strictly regulates optical disc production, its exporting, and importing, trade, and turnover of disc production facilities.
In recognition of the Ukrainian Government's efforts to improve its protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), on August 31 the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced the lifting of 100% tariff sanctions on mineral fertilizers, refrigerator equipment, textiles, shoes, metallurgic products and other goods from Ukraine.
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Mr. Yossifov, representative of the world Organization of Intellectual Property
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The US imposed the sanctions on Ukraine in January 2002, after USTR designated Ukraine as a "Priority Foreign Country" in the U.S. government's "Special 301 Process" in 2001 due to the country's failure to pass new legislation on intellectual property rights. At the time, USTR claimed that Ukraine was the largest producer and exporter of pirated optical media, such as CDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs, in Europe.
Recent CIPR activities in Ukraine have concentrated on improving legislation and enforcement capacities in optical disc production and turnover. Serhiy Movchan of CIPR Ukraine, hailed the lifting of sanctions as the result of the, "dedication of government as well as business to protecting intellectual property." Movchan also praised the Ukrainian government for, "the commitment and willingness to take decisive action to bring the country up to international IPR standards."
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Mr. Amond, representative of the European Patent Bureau
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USTR will also note any future progress in Ukraine when it conducts a Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR). This report will focus on Ukraine's IPR enforcement and consider the country's status as a Priority Foreign Country and its eligibility for Generalized System of Preferences benefits.
The newly passed piece of legislation will bring Ukraine's intellectual property legislation in line with TRIPS standards and may be a significant step forward for Ukraine on its WTO accession aspirations," said Serhiy Movchan, Ukraine's representative of the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR). "President Victor Yuschenko has made WTO accession for Ukraine a major government priority. We look forward to seeing a number of significant improvements in IPR protection and enforcement in the near future as part of the Government's work to achieve this goal."
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"Court Hearing on Violation of Intellectual Property Rights", a seminar organized in the framework of IP Conference in Alushta.
From left to right: Yulia Semeniy, Volodymyr Andriyenko, Bohdan Lvov, Valentyn Paliy, Dmytro Kartushin, Anton Koval.
Photo is a courtesy of the Intellectual Property Magazine, Ukrine.
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