Round Table Conference on the World Intellectual Property Day in Bulgaria

Monday, 30 April 2018 18:05

The Creative Industries and Intellectual Property Department jointly with Prophon, Musicautor, TERAPRO, Artistautor and the Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (BAMP) organized Round Table Conference on the World Intellectual Property Day in Bulgaria. In the Forum took part Mrs. Monika Zikova from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), representatives of the Rectors Managing Body and co-organizers, students, lecturers and guests.

Mrs. Monika Zikova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladya Borisova, Head of the Creative Industries and Intellectual Property Department, Prof. Dr. Valentin Goev, Vice Rector for Scientific Research Activity, Nikolay Bakardzhiev, Assistant Rector (from the right to the left)
Assoc. Prof. Borisova and Prof. Goev are ringing the bell announcing the start of the Round Table Conference

In 2001 it was established a traditional good cooperation between the WIPO and the UNWE on the ground of Memorandum of Cooperation in disseminating the knowledge of intellectual property. In relation to it the Creative Industries and Intellectual Property Department worked out four projects jointly with the WIPO. The first project created an additional interactive training for full time education in university discipline Intellectual Property on the basic module of the WIPO Academy adapted to the Bulgarian theory and practice and uploaded on the university platform Moodle. The students successfully passed the additional training obtain a Certificate by the WIPO Academy and by the Department. The second project includes the elaboration of IP Teaching website for lecturers and experts in intellectual property to exchange educational materials and scientific research works. The website services 33 member-countries of WIPO and it is administered by the University Center for Intellectual Property at UNWE. The third project IP Panorama includes the elaboration and adaptation of multimedia model of training in intellectual property for the representatives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is made-to-order for training. It is also concluded an Agreement of Cooperation with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for implementing training for the SMEs needs.  Today at the celebration of the Intellectual Property Day we present the results of the last, fourth project. These are educational aids worked out by the WIPO and scientifically adapted by the academic staff of the Department for training students in four disciplines: Intellectual Property Management; Intellectual Property in Digital Environment; Intellectual Property Management in Publishing Business and Arbitration and Mediation Procedures for the Intellectual Property, emphasized Assoc. Prof. Borisova. The students obtain the set of four educational aids for free, it is not sold in the trade network and it is made only for students of the Department. In addition, for those who are interested, an additional training on the above mentioned modules to the WIPO Academy can be implemented by international lecturers who carry out also the final examination tests. The students successfully passed the tests obtain Certificate in addition to their diploma from the UNWE.

Eight Bachelor students and three Master students having the highest grades were awarded a set of four educational aids by the official guests during the official part of the Round Table Conference: Katina Dimitrova, Desislava Nikolova, Antoaneta Angelova, Martina Marinova, Ana Yordanova, Tsvetelina Radeva, Verona Yordanova, Marina Petrova, Rosina Petrova, Syure Chausheva and Adriyana Bogomilova.

Assoc. Prof. Borisova gave as present to Prof. Goev a set of educational aids
Mrs. Monika Zikova is awarding a set of educational aids to a student girl
Assoc. Prof. Borisova is awarding educational aids

Prof. Goev greeted the participants in the Forum on behalf of the Rector Prof. D.Sc.(Econ,) Statty Stattev. For the Creative Industries and Intellectual Property Department whose founder is the Honorary Rector Prof. Dr. Borislav Borisov there are two important things – the cooperation with the WIPO which is a guarantee for the level of the Department and the large number of external lecturers which is an indicator that our students acquire not only theoretical but also practical knowledge, outlined Prof. Goev.

In the Large Conference Hall

Mrs. Monika Zikova expressed her thankfulness for the invitation to participate in the Round Table Conference and declared that the WIPO had given high assessment for the UNWE contribution.

After the official part the Forum continued with a Round Table Conference on the issues related to the amendments in the Copyright and Related Rights Act explained by Mrs. Sofia Shtereva, Executive Director of Prophon and by Mr. Velizar Sokolov, Executive Director of TERAPRO (in the picture below).

Bulgarian legislation had to consider the EU Directive on Collective Management of Copyright. Because of the inertness in adopting the amendments Bulgaria was threaten by sanctions from the EU. It forced the institutions in the country to accelerate their work, outlined Mrs. Shtereva.

Mr. Sokolov examined the new texts in the Copyright and Related Rights Act – the collective management of copyrights implemented by the trade associations, preservation of monopoly by the collective rights organizations, liberalization of the public performance regime, etc.

The regime related to the concert activity was presented by the graduate of the Department Mrs. Rosina Petrova from the Musicautor. 

Mrs. Rosina Petrova

About the digital imbalance and copyright underestimation in online environment spoke Rumyana Koleva, Manager Digital Licensing at the Musicautor and graduate of the Department as well as Gergana Gaytandzhieva, Manager Mechanical and Digital Copyright Licensing at the Musicautor.

Rumyana Koleva and Gergana Gaytandzhieva (from the right to the left)

According to the WIPO ranking for the protection of copyrights Bulgaria occupies the last place. Even Macedonia which is not an EU member-state presents better than Bulgaria. An international survey indicates that the share of the grey sector in Bulgaria is large, outlined Mr. Ivan Dimitrov, Executive Director of Musicautor.

Mr. Ivan Dimitrov

About the views of Filmautor on royalties in the context of imbalance in the audiovisual industry spoke Mrs. Maria Palaurova, Executive Director of the company.

Mrs. Maria Palaurova

The topic Actual Issues in the Legislation for Industrial Property Objects – Patents, Trade Marks, Geographical Indications was presented by Dr. Victoria Chorbadzhiiska, graduate of UNWE and by Iveta Plachkova from Manev&Partners (in the picture below).

Photo gallery from Round Table Conference on the World Intellectual Property Day in Bulgaria  ...