INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Georgia is part of the most important international agreements and Conventions in the field of IP protection. Georgia is a member of the World Trade Organization, and a signatory to the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Properties (TRIPs), as well as a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Georgia also enforces the conventions promulgated under the auspices of WIPO.

Georgia is a member State of the Paris Convention on Protection of Industrial Property and Patent Cooperation Agreement; Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works; Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations; Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs; Locarno Agreement on Adoption of International Classification of Industrial Designs. Georgia also the international system of geographic indications by adhering to the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration.

National IP law protection framework is based on the Law of Georgia on Copyright and Neighboring Rights, Law of Georgia on Patents, Law of Georgia on Design, Law of Georgia on Trademarks and Law of Georgia on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Signs.

Body responsible for enforcement of IP rights in the Country is Sakpatenti, State intellectual property agency. Georgian law sets licenses for attorneys representing clients in intellectual property related matters before the Sakpatenti and the courts of Georgia.

The primary body  tasked with the enforcement of industrial property  is the Chamber of Appeals of Sakpatenti, a dispute settlement division chaired by the Chairman of Sakpatenti. Decision of the Chamber on IP matters may be appealed to the common courts and the parties are granted with full access to justice on this matter.