INTA: Ukraine is ‘defiant and open for business’
Opening with an image of a public square in Kyiv that had been hit by a missile, two Ukrainian attorneys shared a defiant message at the International Trademark Association annual meeting in Singapore yesterday (Tuesday May 16).
Photographs before and after the attack showed flames, blackened paving, and smoke, then the same square again but rebuilt, back to its former glory.
“Since February 24 we have suffered from the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation,” said Yuliya Prokhoda, CEO at IP agency INTELS.
“It’s not fiction, it’s our reality. But just imagine how strong we are if, in just one week, we can rebuild the same square.”
Daria Kaplunenko, managing partner of patent firm IPK, echoed this sentiment before laying out reasons why the country remains a “dynamic” place to protect IP and do business.
“The war is [ongoing] but we stand, we fight, and we will win,” said Kaplunenko, who explained the opportunities offered by the nation’s standout industries, such as agriculture, technology, mining, electronics, automotive, and “in the future, tourism”.
The IT commerce industry in particular has demonstrated the “highest resilience”, said Kaplunenko, maintaining 96% of its exports during 2022—despite the war.
New IP office
The country’s IP regime is entering a new era, under the auspices of the new Ukrainian IP Office, launched this year.
Ukraine is a member of the Madrid System, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. It has protections for geographical indications, offers Supplementary Protection Certificates for pharmaceuticals and plants, and is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
When asked by an audience member about how the legal professionals continued working under such duress, Kaplunenko explained that the COVID-19 pandemic meant that remote working was already a part of the country’s working culture.
“February, March, April was the hardest period. But from last summer to this year we continue. We have no choice but to do it,” she added.
Prokhoda emphasised the resolve of Ukranians, including IP professionals, to withstand extreme pressure and meet their ongoing commitments. She went on to explain that on the day of invasion, she continued working in her office.
"So yes, if necessary, we will do an IP application from the basement [during air attacks]”, she reflected. “Ukrainian IP lawyers are dedicated.”
