The Industrial Property Agency (IPA), operating within the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation (MIETI), and the Austrian Patent Office (APO) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Vienna, marking an important step in advancing the patent system in the Republic of Kosovo and expanding services for businesses, innovators and inventors.
Through this Memorandum of Cooperation, the Industrial Property Agency will have access to the services of the Austrian Patent Office for state of the art searches and the preparation of professional opinions regarding the novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability of inventions.
These services will enable applicants in Kosovo to have their patent applications supported by professional assessments and substantive examinations conducted by a European institution with advanced expertise in the field of patents.
This cooperation constitutes a new service for the innovation ecosystem in Kosovo, which will contribute to increasing the quality of patent examination procedures, providing a clearer assessment of the potential of inventions and creating more legal certainty during the process of their protection.
The Memorandum of Cooperation also foresees specialized training for the staff of the Industrial Property Agency, exchange of expertise and best practices, as well as joint activities for the advancement of the industrial property system in the Republic of Kosovo.
The signing of this Memorandum of Cooperation represents an important step towards developing a more efficient patent system in Kosovo and providing better quality services to the business community, innovators and inventors, in accordance with European standards and best practices.
