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The Georgian-Swiss Intellectual Property Project (GESIP)

The overall objective of GESIP is to contribute to Georgia’s socio-economic development through a more effective use of GIs and by the government providing better services to Georgian IP users.

Project background and context

Since its independence in 1991, Georgia has embarked on a series of reforms and liberalization initiatives. It has been committed to open markets and stable economic growth and further integration in world and regional markets has been a priority. To fulfill this commitment, Georgia became a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1991 and the World Trade Organization, and thus the TRIPS Agreement, in 2000.

Georgia and the Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2016, which came into force in 2018. The agreement consists of 13 Chapters and 16 Annexes, covering a variety of topics, including intellectual property (IP). In addition, Georgia and Switzerland also concluded a bilateral Agreement on the Mutual Recognition and Protection of Geographical Indications, Appellations of Origin and Indications of Source, in May 2018.

Georgia has a well-developed system for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs), which is based on national IP laws and legislations in various IP fields. Georgia is also a party to most WIPO treaties, such as the Lisbon (2004) and Budapest (2005) Agreements. However, the GI legal framework, (i.e. amendments to the main law and its by-laws that have recently been drafted, the implementation of the GI management and control system) has not yet been put into practice and thus faces a few implementing challenges.

GESIP will focus on developing the GI management and control system in Georgia. It will particularly support the development of institutional capacities in this regard. Parallel to that, the project will put its efforts on capacity building for GI producers and producers’ organizations and their effective involvement in managing their GIs. With regard to the cooperation with the Inventions and New Varieties and Breeds Department of Sakpatenti, it is expected that project interventions reinforce the capacities and quality of services that Sakpatenti offers to Georgian IP users and the public.

Goals and objectives

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to Georgia’s socio-economic development through a more effective use of GIs and by the government providing better services to Georgian IP users. The project will be implemented by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), in close cooperation with the project partner (and beneficiary), Sakpatenti. GESIP will provide support to the following identified priority areas:

Legal Support
Support on GIs to Sakpatenti and other governmental institutions
Support on GIs to GI producers
Support to Sakpatenti Department of Inventions and New Varieties and Breeds

Activities

GESIP will provide legal advice and support in the process of approval and implementation of prepared drafts of primary and secondary legislation in the field of GI and map the roles and functions of government institutions in the GI system. Furthermore, it will support the process of implementation of control mechanisms and certification system/structure including providing necessary guidance during the process as well as inter-institutional coordination, and provide training and capacity building for certification and accreditation bodies. Directly supporting GI producers, activities include training on awareness of GIs to selected producers and helping with the formation of Producer Associations and the registration process, capacity building for selected producers on the implementation of the GI scheme and a knowledge sharing study visit to Switzerland for GI producers and select governmental institution representatives. Finally, GESIP will also support Sakpatenti’s Department of Inventions and New Varieties and Breeds with training sessions for their experts through experience sharing workshops on Freedom to Operate (FTO) searches and IP awareness for SMEs active in the field of Green Tech. GESIP will also have experience sharing exchanges on the topic of Green Tech patent searches and WIPO Green.

Alignment with Georgia’s interests in IP

Over the past several years, Georgia has developed a legal framework for the further development of the GI system. Sakpatenti and other government institutions are now at a stage where the new system should be effectively implemented in the country. GESIP will seek to build upon the foundation that has already been developed in order to improve the GI system, thus contributing to economic growth. At the same time, the project will engage with Sakpatenti to strengthen its capacities and hence provide better services to applicants.

Moreover, Sakpatenti aims to strengthen the Georgian economy in the post-COVID era by means of IP awareness raising activities as well as by expanding its IP services and empowering businesses to identify, manage and capitalize on IP assets. Implementation of FTO searches and sharing best practices would be a major step forward for Sakpatenti in its efforts to position itself as an enabling infrastructure for economic recovery and innovation in Georgia.

Beneficiaries

The main beneficiary is Sakpatenti. Other direct beneficiaries include the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, National Food Agency, National Wine Agency, Georgian Accreditation Centre and selected GI producers and stakeholders.

Indirect beneficiaries will mostly be GI producers that will be able to take advantage of the GI system as well as start-ups and SMEs that will have access to better searches through Sakpatenti. Other economic actors as well as the wider Georgian public benefit indirectly through improved IPR services and the increased quality and competitiveness of Georgian goods and products.

Quick project facts

Project duration
July 2022 – June 2025

Total budget
CHF 596’000

Donor agency
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs – SECO

Implementing partners
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property – IPI

Sakpatenti (IP Office of Georgia)

Georgia country context 2021
Population: 3,7 million
Area: 69,700 km²
GDP growth: 10.4%
Income per capita: USD 4,740

Contact for more information

Georges Bauer and Zeinab Ghafouri – Project Coordinators GESIP
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property – IPI
georges.bauernot shown@ipito make life hard for spam bots.ch | +41 31 377 72 14 & zeinab.ghafourinot shown@ipito make life hard for spam bots.ch | +41 31 377 72 08

Mariam Svanidze – Project Associate

Tbilisi, Georgia

m.svanidzenot shown@pmcginternationalto make life hard for spam bots.com | +99532 292 1171 or +99532 292 1181

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