Introducing a new law on trademarks
As of 23 September 2019, a draft “Trade Mark Law” is being debated in the responsible commission of the Saeima. The draft law has yet to be considered in three parliamentary sessions and is planned to come into force by the end of 2020.
The draft law is designed to transpose the requirements of the Trade Marks Directive, as well as update and restructure the existing provisions on trademarks and geographical indications to reflect major shifts in the field of trademark law. The new law will define the basic principles of trademark protection, regulate the subjects, exclusive rights, establish rules on the procedure for registration of a trademark, and regulate liability in infringement cases.
The draft law also contains the procedure for international registration of trademarks, including how international registration is applied to Latvia, as well as other provisions for the protection and use of trademarks.
New court for intellectual property disputes
On 22 August 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers supported a concept report for development of a specialised commercial court of economic affairs. It is planned that the court will begin its work from 1 January 2021.
The new court will have jurisdiction over various types of financial and commercial disputes, including intellectual property disputes. This novelty aims to ease implementation of common standards in all institutions involved in proceedings, as well as to ensure quicker litigation and improve the quality of court proceedings in relevant disputes.
