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President visits Croatian Office
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European Patent Office (EPO) President Alison Brimelow paid an official visit to the State Intellectual Patent Office (SIPO) in Zagreb today to welcome Croatia to the European Patent Organisation.
"With its membership in the EPO Croatia gains access to one of the most effective systems for technology transfer, as patents form an important and efficient global distribution networks for new technologies", she said.
"Moreover, Croatia can now actively participate in the shaping of the future of the European patent system, since it has a seat and vote on the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation."
Croatia's accession to the European Patent Convention at the beginning of the year was the result of close co-operation between the EPO and SIPO that began in the early 1990s.
An important element of that co-operation was the implementation by the EPO and the Office for Hamonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) of the Croatian component of the EU's CARDS 2003 project, called "Strengthening the Intellectual Property Implementation System", which was completed this month.
Croatia had been an extension state of the EPC since 2004 and was invited to join the Organisation at the end of 2005.
The Republic of Croatia - together with Norway - acceded to the European Patent Convention on 1 January this year, taking the total number of EPO member states to 34.
Further information
- News 1.1.2008: Croatia and Norway join the EPO
- European Patent Organisation: Member states