Why is the INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY more than important for our accession to the European Union?

Serbia was ready to open Chapter 7 - intellectual property in December 2015, according to the report of European Union. In the meantime, the negotiating team and the Negotiating Group wrote negotiating position for Chapter 7 adopted by Serbian Government in March this year, and which was then submitted to the Secretariat of EU in Brussels and the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union. Now it remains on the countries of EU to declare about our negotiation position and to open the Chapter 7, and to close it soon after that, said the acting Director of the Intellectual Property Office of Serbia Vladimir Maric.

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Why is respect for intellectual property rights important to us and why it is important for our accession to the European Union?

- Intellectual property is a civilizational heritage that is the result of the cognition of creative people - writers, composers, artists, inventors, designers and others who are engaged in creative work - should be rewarded for this work - said Maric, quoted by the Institute for public policy.

Foto: Telegraf

He said that the industry based on intellectual property (copyright, trademarks, patents, industrial design, etc.) today produces 27.8 percent of jobs in the European Union, that is, that in this industry today has about 60 million inhabitants of the European Union. In addition, the industries that are directly dependent on these industries (such as audio and video devices industry that are used for reproduction of copyright works) employing additional 22.2 million workers, and to a total of 82.2 million people are employed in industries that are based on intellectual property.

Foto: Telegraf

- The effectiveness of the described industries is possible only with strict respect for intellectual property rights and with a consistent and decisive fight against counterfeiting and piracy. It is therefore important for Europe that each candidate country respects the principle of protection of intellectual property, to harmonize its legislation with European directives in this area and to effectively fight against its violation. These are the two main pillars of our negotiating position for Chapter 7 - said the CEO of the Institute.

As he further explained, Serbia respects the intellectual property rights not only because of the European Union, but also because the property is a dynamic field that is rapidly changing due to the development of digital technologies and new forms of exploitation of copyright works, and that in this regard we need to keep up with the world.

Foto: Telegraf

Total participation of all the creative industries in the creation of the gross domestic product of the Republic of Serbia is 4.61 percent. Creative industries generate more GDP than mining or accommodation and food services, and about the same as the financial industry, insurance or electricity supply. Creative industries account for 4 percent of the total employment in Serbia. In total, there are 90.503 in the creative industries in Serbia. By far the largest number, 25,584 workers are employed in the printing and publishing industry, and the second place is the production of software and databases, where 5,868 employees are working, according to Politika.

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia/BSIP

According to Vladimir Maric, thanks to the work of the Tax Administration, the rate of piracy in software in Serbia in the period 2011-2015. decreased by 7 percent.

- Serbia has the potential to stand side by side with the countries of the European Union regarding the protection of intellectual property. Counterfeiting and piracy stifle the economy of each country, damaging its image, leading to loss of jobs and plunge in living standards - Maric said and pointed out that "the people who gave greats, such as Vuk Karadzic, Ivo Andric, Nikola Tesla, Mihailo Pupin or Milutin Milankovic, can not refer disparaging towards creative people and their work."

(Telegraf.co.uk)