Presentation of the State Agency on Intellectual Property
THE STATE AGENCY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA (abbreviated - AGEPI) is the specialized governmental body, invested with the right to afford protection of intellectual property objects.
AGEPI is created under the Code on Science and Innovation and Government Decision no. 1016 of 13 September 2004 by merger of the State Agency on the Protection of Industrial Property and the State Agency for Copyright, as their successors in title.
AGEPI carries out its activity on self-financed and self-governed principles and is subordinated to the Government. AGEPI is a legal entity, has independent balance and bank accounts, stamp with the State Emblem of the Republic of Moldova and its name, forms with letterhead.
AGEPI shall represent the Republic of Moldova in the World Intellectual Property Organization, other international and intergovernmental organizations for the protection of intellectual property, maintain and develop relations of collaboration and cooperation with them, as well as specialized institutions of other states.
AGEPI is independent in taking decisions on legal protection of intellectual property objects.
AGEPI issues on behalf of state titles of protection of intellectual property objects.
AGEPI has the following main functions:
- elaborates proposals on state policy and legal regulatory intellectual property protection framework;
- organizes and manages the national intellectual property protection system;
- elaborates proposals on the development of the national intellectual property protection system and supervises the execution and enforcement of the legislation of the Republic of Moldova and of the international treaties to which the Republic of Moldova is party;
- develops, coordinates and implements the development programs and collaboration agreements with other countries or international organizations in its activity field;
- develops and implements practical and theoretical specialists training and retraining programs in intellectual property;
- receives and examines applications for the issue of titles of protection for intellectual property objects;
- manages national registers of applications and titles of protection granted for inventions, new varieties of plan, product and service trademarks, appellations of origin, industrial designs, utility models, topographies of integrated circuits, for other industrial property objects, national registers of license and assignment contracts, of representatives, evaluators and counselors in the field of intellectual property;
- examines and registers license, assignment, pledge and franchise contracts concerning the rights industrial property objects;
- publishes and disseminates descriptions of patents for invention;
- develops, publishes and distributes the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property, the journal of intellectual property “Intellectus” and other publications in the field;
- organizes, certifies and authorizes the activity of representatives, counselors and evaluators in industrial property;
- renders to applicants, upon request or in a planned manner, specialized services or assistance in the field of intellectual property;
- ensures the protection of rights and legitimate interests of authors, holders of copyright and related rights;
- receives and examines applications for registration of objects of copyright and related rights, registers and issues on behalf of the state, certificates of their registration;
- approves, monitors and supervises the work of the organizations of collective management of copyright and/or related rights;
- establishes the Mediation Board in the field of intellectual property, examining and settling disputes assigned to its competence according to special intellectual property laws and disputes in the field of collective management of copyright and related rights;
- issues control markings, as required by law.
