The Interstate Council on the Industrial Property Protection (ICIPP) was set up and is acting in pursuance of the Agreement on Measures Concerning the Industrial Property Protection of March 12, 1993 and the Provision on Establishment of the Interstate Council on the Industrial Property Protection being an addendum thereto. The Agreement was signed at the meeting of the Heads of the Governments of the Republic of Armenia , Republic of Belarus , Republic of Kazakhstan , Republic of Moldova , Republic of Tajikistan , Kyrgyz Republic , Russian Federation , Republic of Uzbekistan and Ukraine on March 12, 1993. Later, on April 28, 1994 the Republic of Azerbaijan acceded to the Agreement.

 

The main lines of ICIPP are establishment of an interstate system for the protection of industrial property and harmonization of national laws in this field.

On May 18-19, 1993, in Moscow , the Russian Federation there was held the first session whereupon ICIPP was, in fact, established. The session determined to create a uniform system of mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of industrial property protection.

At the second ICIPP session held in Uzhgorod , Ukraine , in September 1993 a draft Eurasian Patent Convention was approved. The draft was then signed at the meeting of the Heads of the Governments of CIS countries on September 9, 1994 in Moscow . The Convention entered into force in August, 1995. The fact of the Eurasian Patent Convention coming into force is the significant result of ICIPP efforts ( Ukraine has not ratified the Convention).

 

Beginning from 1995 CIS states have been elaborating their own legislative bases in the field of industrial property, their national patent offices keeping on developing. Special progress ICIPP has achieved lies in elaborating and signing such intergovernmental agreements as the Agreement on Cooperation for Prevention of the Intellectual Property Rights Infringements of March 6, 1998, the Agreement on Measures to Prevent and Terminate the Use of False Trademarks and Geographical Indications and the Agreement on Mutual Securing of Interstate Secrets in the Field of Legal Protection of Inventions – both latter ones being signed on June 4, 1999.

 

At the 11-th ICIPP session held on May 21-23, 2001 in Moscow the Agreement on the production of joint CIS regional patent information product on CD-ROMs was finally formulated and signed. At present time it becomes necessary to coordinate all information interchange actions by means an electronic system as well as to promote innovative and inventive activities in the member states of the Agreement.

 

To accomplish goals ICIPP has determined it works arm in arm with the CIS Executive Committee, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights Protection in CIS Countries (CIPR) and Eurasian Patent Office EAPO).

 

ICIPP is a continuing body, which was set up and will further develop for any problems of any industrial property objects’ legal protection system, including expansion of every state’s list of legally protected objects, to be jointly solved. ICIPP activity is realized both by way of sessions and during the routine work done by its members, the Secretariat and working groups. The above sessions are to be held by the Chairman’s decision at fixed intervals but at least once a year.

 

For resolutions of ICIPP-members to be realized there were set up within its bounds the following standing Working Groups: on improvement and harmonization of national laws, on patent information interchange and information activity automation; Coordinating Council of the Joint CD-ROM Release Project, special working group for technological support of works to be executed in member offices of the project, interim working group on discussing issues on support of small and medium-size businesses, promotion of innovative activity, accounting and estimation of the intellectual property value, implementation of rights and consideration of the state interests regarding the intellectual property created at the expense of the state budget. The mentioned working groups are to pursue scheduled work plans both on-line and by discussing live issues at their meetings.

 

ICIPP is to coordinate activities on producing a joint information product and its distribution over the territories of the member states for consumer needs to be satisfied.

ICIPP is to manage activities according to the terms provided in its Rules, the new revision thereof was approved at the 11-th session of May 21-23, 2001.

 

The Agreement on Measures Concerning the Industrial Property Protection and the Establishment of ICIPP of March 12, 1993 is open for accession of states wishing to join it.