News

On 26 April, the member countries of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), including Slovenia, mark World Intellectual Property Day. On this day, a campaign is launched to raise public awareness about intellectual property and its role in fostering innovation and creativity.

Today the Government adopted a draft amendment to the Industrial Property Act and will send it to the National Assembly for consideration under the ordinary procedure. The amendment aims to simplify and cheapen some existing procedures and further align Slovenian regulation with European and international rules.

A ceremony was held today at the Intellectual Property Office to name a large meeting room after the outstanding Slovenian inventor and cosmopolitan Peter Florjančič. The event was attended by his daughter and grandson, and addressed by State Secretary Dejan Židan and the Director of the Office Karin Žvokelj.

How will the unitary patent system simplify and improve the European patent system for the benefit of its users? This was the focus of today's event organised by the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, the European Patent Office and the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for companies and interested professionals. The system is due to enter into force in April next year.

Data from the latest European Patent Office survey highlights the gender gap in innovation, with women accounting for only 13.2% of European inventors listed in patent applications. At 17.4%, Slovenia ranks slightly above the European average.

On 25 October 2022, a joint event of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office and the Boards of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) was held in Ljubljana, for intellectual property (IP) attorneys, judges and other IP professionals.

At the invitation of the Austrian Patent Office, a bilateral visit to Vienna took place on 20 October 2022, where we explored opportunities for mutual cooperation, exchanged examples of good practice and views on current developments in the field of intellectual property rights.

Switzerland has retained its top spot among the world's most innovative countries, a position it has held for almost a decade. Slovenia has dropped one place in this year's ranking to 33rd out of 132 countries.

The National Assembly adopted amendments to the Copyright and Related Rights Act and the Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights Act. With the amendments, Slovenia transposes the provisions of two European Directives into the Slovenian legal order.

As part of the first round of bi-annual technical visits, the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office hosted today a visit by representatives of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The visit took place in a hybrid format, with some EUIPO staff joining the virtually.

Due to the emergence of extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine, the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office is doing its utmost to protect the rights of Ukrainian intellectual property right holders.