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New EU Customs Borders: what level of protection the brand owners can expect from the Baltic states?. Romans Baumanis INDICAM Forum Milan, Italy 31 March 2004. The Baltic hub: area for trade and smuggling. Borders with Finland, Russia, Belarus, Poland. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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New EU Customs Borders:New EU Customs Borders: what level of protection the brand owners what level of protection the brand owners
can expect from the Baltic states?can expect from the Baltic states?
Romans Baumanis
INDICAM Forum
Milan, Italy
31 March 2004
The Baltic hub: The Baltic hub: area for trade and smugglingarea for trade and smuggling
• Borders with Finland, Russia, Belarus, Poland.
• Ice-free ports and well developed transit infrastructure.
• 3rd year in the row on the USTR 301 watch list.
• Track record of large smuggling cases.
The Baltic hub: The Baltic hub: area for trade and smugglingarea for trade and smuggling
• Current seizures• Multi million cigarette
smuggling cases have been reported, involving terrorist organizations.
• Several manufacturing facilities have been discovered in Latvia.
IPR Protection statusIPR Protection status
• TRIPS compliance
achieved on paper
• Basic IPR literacy
achieved through
bilateral, multilateral
and private sector
training programs for
Customs and police.
IPR Protection statusIPR Protection status• Significant personnel
changes in Customs and
police reduce
effectiveness of the
trainings.
• Lack of financial and
human resources,
insufficient technical
means.
IPR Protection statusIPR Protection status• Judiciary system is slow to
understand and implement
IPR laws
• IP violations still
perceived as victimless
crime by the Governments
• Global scale of
counterfeiting: additional
challenge for the EU
LatviaLatvia• Possibility for ex-officio actions exists;
Customs start using it.
• Customs applications: currently around 69, 4 in electronic form, no fee.
• IPR infringement data collection and sharing: virtually non-existent among Latvian agencies nor at the pan-Baltic level
• CIPR-REACT joint venture as of Feb. 2004
Latvia Latvia The Government shows selective awareness of the
counterfeiting problem!
LithuaniaLithuania• Possibility for ex-officio actions exists; seldom
used: 4 cases in 2003.
• Applications accepted: 2001- 9; 2002 - 24; 2003 - 30, fee - 150 €/ 2 years.
• Information gathering: CEN form is not used; some limited information exchange exists between GOL agencies.
• CIPR-REACT project soon operational.
EstoniaEstonia
• Possibility for ex-officio actions exists; seldom used. New Directive will give additional powers.
• Currently 68 applications; no fee; kept as hard copies - no electronic submission form.
• Data gathering: CEN form is not used; same case as in Latvia and Lithuania.
What can be done to improve IPR protection?
• Use diplomatic channels to underscore importance of IPR protection.
• Develop cooperation with the Governments - show concern and support.
• Share information to achieve better enforcement.• Assist with enforcement - REACT type of
cooperation.• Build brand protection capacity within the
organization.• Develop trust by consistent actions!
WWW.CIPR.ORGWWW.CIPR.ORG
[email protected]@cipr.org