National IP Strategy for 2011-2015 adopted

The Serbian government has adopted its National Intellectual Property Strategy for the 2011-2015 period.

The strategy defines the objectives to be reached during this period, the most important of which are as follows:

to determine the degree of compliance of the local legislation with the IP Rights Enforcement Directive (2004/48/EC);
to determine the degree of compliance of the Serbian Law on Geographical Indications with Council Regulation 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, and perform the necessary amendments;
to take the appropriate organisational and technical measures for the digitisation of all Intellectual Property Office (IPO) documentation on IP rights that have been applied for or granted;
to take the appropriate organisational and technical measures to introduce an electronic application system at the IPO for industrial property rights;
to improve the protection of geographical indications for wines;
to create a permanent coordinating body to ensure cooperation between the police, the customs authorities and the tax administration;
to develop a programme of mutual cooperation between the police, Customs, the state broadcasting agencies, the courts, the prosecutors and the IPO; and
to provide funding for the protection of geographical indications and traditional specialties.

Jelena Jankovic, PETOŠEVIC, Belgrade