Intellectual Property Rights
The State Agency on Intellectual Property is a central administrative authority subordinated to the Government, responsible for promoting and implementing activities in the field of the legal protection of intellectual property related to industrial property rights, copyright and related rights. AGEPI operates on the basis of self-governance and self-financing principles; it has the status of a legal entity established in Chisinau, with an official name, a short name in the official state language and a stamp with the State Emblem of the Republic of Moldova.
Internationally - AGEPI represents the Republic of Moldova in the World Intellectual Property Organization, other international, regional and intergovernmental organizations for intellectual property protection, maintains and develops collaborative relationships with them, and with the specialized institutions of other states.
AGEPI has the following main functions:
- strategically plans and implements the national system of intellectual property development strategies;
- organizes and manages the functioning of the national system of intellectual property, under the legislation of the Republic of Moldova and the International Treaties to which the Republic of Moldova is party;
- ensures the promotion of proposals concerning the regulatory framework on the protection of intellectual property and improvement of national legislation, approves draft laws developed by other public authorities;
- provides services related to intellectual property, in accordance with the legislation.
AGEPI shall:
- receive and examine the applications for the grant of protection, grant and issue, on behalf of the State, titles of protection for intellectual property objects under the legislation on intellectual property;
- manage and store national registers of filed applications and national registers of titles of protection granted for inventions, plant varieties, topographies of integrated circuits, trademarks, industrial designs, national registers of protected geographical indications, protected appellations of origin and traditional specialities guaranteed, state register of objects protected by copyright and related rights, national registers of licensing, assignment, pledge and franchising agreements relating to industrial property objects, state register of holders of control marks, national registers of attorneys and evaluators in intellectual property;
- manage, store and develop databases in intellectual property under the legislation;
- develop, coordinate and implement programs and cooperation agreements with other countries and / or international organizations in its field of activity;
- develop and implement training and retraining programs for specialists in the field of intellectual property;
- organize training and retraining courses for counsellors, attorneys and evaluators in intellectual property and issue certificates of professional qualification;
- carry out publishing activities within its functions, edit and publish the Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property and other publications to promote intellectual property;
- develop and approve regulations and instructions, standard forms and other procedural documents necessary to comply with the provisions of the legislation on intellectual property;
- monitor the work of the Board of Appeals, the Mediation Board and the Specialized Arbitration in intellectual property;
- organize and participate in exhibitions, symposiums, conferences, competitions, seminars and other national or international activities on intellectual property;
- provide, upon request, advisory services on intellectual property;
- register assignment, license, pledge and franchising contracts of rights on industrial property objects;
- publish data on the applications in the field of intellectual property and the titles of protection;
- ensure the registration, storage and completion of the collection of specialized documents and publications in the field of intellectual property;
- conduct, upon request and against payment, documentary research on industrial property;
- receive and examine applications and documents required for the registration of applicants in the State Register of holders of control marks;
- issue control markings for holders of rights in respect of the copies of works or phonograms registered at AGEPI;
- examine, at the request of competent bodies, the copies of works or phonograms and prepare reports on technical and scientific expertise;
- approve, monitor and supervise the activity of collective management organizations of copyright and / or related rights.
AGEPI services are provided according to the Quality Management System ISO 9001 : 2008, which ensures quality according to international standards.
Detailed information can be found on site www.agepi.gov.md