PATENTS FOR 138 INVENTIONS GRANTED IN ARMENIA LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. At the January 17 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the bill on useful models of inventions
and industrial models. The head of the Intellectual Property Agency
of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development Armen Azizian
told reporters after the sitting that the bill aims to improve the
legislativer field on itellectual property and bring it into line
with European standards.
The bill envisages simplifying the procedure of granting patents for
inventions and useful models of inventions. It was stated that the RA
Law on Patents does not correspond to international standards as it
stipulates a complicated procedure of granting patents. Under this
law, two patents are granted: at first a preliminary patent for up
to 10 years is given to the inventor, after which a second patent is
granted for a 20-year period. The bill envisages granting one patent
for 20 years by a simple procedure.
A. Azizian added that at present the agency has to publish the patent
within 1-2 months after the submission of the bid on patent for the
purpose of general familiarization. According to the bill, the person
submitting the bid may keep the essence of his/her invention secret
up to 18 months.
Last year the agency granted patents for 138 inventions, only 3 of
which have been put in use. Most of patents are related to medicine,
energy, mining industry.