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The year 2004 was significant for the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB) in terms of intensive preparation for the European Patent Organization (EPO) and European Union (EU) membership: draft legal acts were mapped out in order to ensure the validity of the EU legal acts in Lithuania; the representation of Lithuania's interests was commenced in the working groups of the EU Commission and Council and the EU Office for the Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM); legal, since 1st of December 2004 Lithuania is a party to the European Patent Convention. Moreover, alongside the integration projects, other international projects were carried out: further successful co-operation with international organisations was carried out in order to implement the mission of SPB:
"To implement the state strategy of the Lithuania in the field of protection of the industrial property objects".
The functioning of the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB) is firstly determined by external economic factors. Any more or less important economic, commercial, scientific or other activity is impossible without the legal protection of industrial property objects (inventions, designs, trademarks, etc.). There are no other ways to implement it as to register the exclusive right with the national or regional patent office and by the prescribed procedure to obtain patents and certificates enabling to exercise the exclusive right to industrial property objects in the territory of the EU Member State in question. The protection of industrial property is an object of interest to the industry and science of Lithuania and foreign countries. The influence of social and political factors depends on how much these factors influence the growth of country's economy, business development, coming of foreign investment and promotion and needs of the protection of intellectual (industrial) property. Technological factors influence the protection of industrial property through the systems of processing of applications, databases computerization, transmission and search. Close contacts with international databases administered by organizations of industrial property protection and registers of industrial property objects, in particular with the registers of the Community trademarks and the Community designs managed by the OHIM.
The complicated and specific activities of the SPB are significantly preconditioned by internal factors. The successful functioning of the national system of the industrial property protection is greatly influenced by administrative capacities of SPB employees, judges, economic police and customs officers and specialists of some other institutions related to this activity, modern legal and material technical basis, reliable communications system and activity related to the publication of a monthly official gazette, specifications of inventions and classifications, as well as the formation and use of information databases in electronic form. These factors have an impact on the need for appropriate financial resources. The SPB and other institutions related to the industrial property protection have highly skilled employees.
During 14 years of the SPB's existence, the national system of industrial property protection was successfully created encompassing both the patent office and the development of legal and material technical basis and growth of information activities. The SPB is responsible for the publication of data on the industrial property of the Republic of Lithuania in Lithuania's and international databases, whereas the Lithuanian Technical Library, which falls within the jurisdiction of the SPB, is responsible for the distribution of official publications released by the SPB. All measures provided in the SPB's strategic activity plan for the year 2004 were implemented.
With Lithuania's accession to the European Union, the national system of industrial property protection of the Republic of Lithuania started to function as a part of the regional system ensuring the protection of the rights of owners of the Community trademarks and the Community designs. Without it, any foreign investments and development of knowledge economy in Lithuania is absolutely impossible. On 1 May 2004, 350 thousand Community trademarks and 50 thousand design samples registered in the Community became valid in the Republic of Lithuania.
The main tendencies envisaged for 2005-2007 are the increase in a number of applications for inventions and trademarks through the international and regional registration systems, extension of validity of registration of national trademarks and an increase in a number of appeals and oppositions investigated in the SPB Division of Appeals. With Lithuania's becoming a fully-fledged EU member, the SPB performs the function of the central industrial property office, whereas Vilnius County Court has acquired an authority to decide on Community trademarks and designs infringement cases when implementing the Regulations on Community trademarks and Community designs.
After Lithuania became the 30th member of the EPO the year 2005 will bring new challenges that will be faced by the staff of SPB with sheer optimism.
Rimvydas NAUJOKAS