Ukraine will create register of websites that allegedly violate intellectual property rights

The Ministry of Economy passed an order approving the procedure for forming and maintaining a national list of websites that cause concern regarding the observance of intellectual property rights.

This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Economy, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

Thus, according to the announcement, Ukraine has joined a number of states that will fill the WIPO ALERT platform to counter the work of websites that infringe intellectual property rights.

The WIPO ALERT Database is a secure online platform administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization where authorized WIPO Member State participants can upload lists detailing websites (and mobile applications) that are reasonably suspected of infringing intellectual property rights.

"Thanks to the interaction of the Ministry of Economy with WIPO through the WIPO ALERT data exchange platform, participating countries can exchange information on potential violations of intellectual property rights on an international scale. From now on, subjects of copyright and/or related rights can submit a request to the IP Office for the inclusion of a website, which raises concerns about the observance of intellectual property rights, to the national list of such websites," the message said.

Ukraine is the fifteenth country to join the WIPO initiative.

"Despite the challenges of a full-scale war, we make every effort to protect copyright and related rights on the Internet for Ukrainian and foreign subjects of intellectual property rights. Ukraine has become one of the first countries in the world to comprehensively introduce a corresponding mechanism based on a secure online platform, to which authorized states - members of the World Intellectual Property Organization can upload information about websites and applications that violate copyright from the point of view of national norms. This is also a sure step on the way to the European integration of Ukraine," said the First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in April 2022, the Verkhovna Rada suspended the terms related to the protection of intellectual property rights and the terms of procedures for acquiring these rights for the period of martial law.