Ukraine has recently joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) platform. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO ALERT Database) is an international online platform where authorised participants of WIPO member states upload lists of websites or applications suspected of infringing copyright and intellectual property rights.
Ukraine has become the 15th country to upload to the WIPO ALERT platform a list of websites with copyright infringements, and to create and maintain a national list of such websites. This is an important step towards creating a more secure digital space in Ukraine, which will help protect intellectual property rights and further develop the national economy.
According to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, on 21 March 2024, an order was issued approving the procedure for the formation and maintenance of a national list of websites that raise concerns about the observance of intellectual property rights. Now, through the WIPO ALERT data exchange platform, participating countries can exchange information on potential intellectual property rights infringements on an international scale. From now on, copyright and/or related rights holders can submit to the IP Office a request to include a website that raises concerns about the observance of intellectual property rights in the national list of such websites.
The Committee on Economic Development, which has jurisdiction over intellectual property issues, welcomes the next step taken by Ukraine on its way to European integration. It should be noted that in recent years, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted a number of European integration laws in the field of intellectual property, the main drafting body for which was the Committee on Economic Development. These include, in particular, the Laws of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Strengthening the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights” and “On Copyright and Related Rights”, among others. Work in this area is currently ongoing.