26 Feb 2025
The development strategy of our region clearly shows that the Municipality of Stara Zagora must develop youth entrepreneurship, and it goes hand in hand with innovation, because young people are the innovators in our lives. With these welcoming words, the Deputy Mayor with the portfolio "Transport, Ecology, Investments and Green Transition" Radostin Tanev addressed today the participants in the two-day seminar, which began at the "Zahariy Knyazheski" Regional Hospital in Stara Zagora. The forum is being held within the framework of the "ESR8: European Network of Authenticities" initiative, jointly implemented and co-financed by the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria, the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the Municipality of Stara Zagora.
"For us, it is extremely important to cooperate with an institution whose history dates back to 1903, transformed over time, but which has remained active, working and with increasingly significant activities today," defined the responsible deputy mayor. He recalled that last year a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Municipality of Stara Zagora and the Patent Office. "Then, without hesitation, we categorically supported this idea, because we need to develop the intellectual products of our fellow citizens. Stara Zagora must be a city in which business can develop, startups can develop and have the certainty that their products will not be copied. Therefore, I thank you for choosing Stara Zagora again this year as a place to conduct your training, we will continue to support you, you can absolutely rely on the Municipality of Stara Zagora," Radostin Tanev explicitly assured.
“Stara Zagora is the center of Bulgaria, where history, culture, industry and traditions meet, and we, as a state body for the protection of industrial property objects, have the obligation to spread knowledge and motivate young people, since intellectual property nowadays plays an extremely important role in the development of a successful business,” said the Chairman of the Patent Office, Eng. Olya Dimitrova. “Competitiveness is a necessary and important condition in order to be able to occupy leading positions; in addition to it, innovation, technological growth, creativity are now conditions for being able to successfully implement our ideas and generate profit from them,” Eng. Dimitrova addressed the audience. An important condition is that the first in time is the first in law, she warned.
“The genesis of this project dates back to 2015, as it emerged as one of the initiatives of the European Observatory for Combating Infringements,” informed the coordinator of the initiative, Stoyan Bozhkov, chief expert in the Directorate for Disputes and Administrative and Criminal Activity at the Patent Office.
The idea is for national patent offices to be a leading factor in informing the public about what intellectual property is, what its benefits are and how important the fight against counterfeit goods is. “Unfortunately, counterfeit goods are something common in our everyday lives, but few people know that in fact the benefits are far less than the harm they cause not only to traders of original products, but also to consumers,” warned Stoyan Bozhkov.
“The brand will guide the consumer in his choice and will serve as a guarantee of the origin of your goods. It will be part of your intellectual property and will be of fundamental importance in your business, it will become your most valuable asset. It will help you protect your work, to be original,” explained Reni Lazarova, chief expert in the “Examination and Opposition of Trademarks and Geographical Indications” Directorate at the Patent Office.
Today and tomorrow, during the lectures and presentations, other concepts besides trademark and industrial design were explained, as well as how to protect them, when they are registered, and with what electronic services and tools they can be researched.
The event today and tomorrow is a kind of continuation of the joint information day of the Municipality of Stara Zagora and the Patent Office held on September 25, 2024. It is also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the prosecutor's office, the court, doctoral students from the Trakia University, a representative group from the Romain Rolland High School of Applied Sciences, representatives from other schools and the media.
