On 11 December 2023, Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia, Arvīds Barševskis, Rector of the Daugavpils University, and Andrejs Elksniņš, Council Chairman of the City of Daugavpils signed the Memorandum of Understanding, thus Daugavpils joining the Authenticities Network. This is the second Latvian city to join this EUIPO initiative.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding took place in the Daugavpils fortress complex, the Mark Rothko Museum. “It is the second city of Latvia that joins the network of authenticities, and it is Daugavpils – a city with rich history, unique, and with authentic objects. The works by artist Rothko are also unique and authentic here in the museum, so being here is a confirmation of the project’s motto “Authentic Is Eternal”, at the kick-off event, said Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office.
The Patent Office has good experience in working with students and universities, giving lectures on intellectual property protection, as well as cooperating with scientific and innovation centres. The role of science and education in the creation and protection of science-based intellectual property, including industrial property, was also emphasized by Andrejs Elksniņš, Council Chairman of the City of Daugavpils: "This cooperation is extremely important for Daugavpils in the new European Union funds planning period, when the emphasis in projects is on smart municipalities, networks with universities and entrepreneurs working in high-tech and science-intensive industries. At the same time, the protection of intellectual property is becoming more and more essential nowadays, and it is important for the municipality to inform the public about current trends and the negative economic impact of counterfeiting."
During the next year, several activities are planned in Daugavpils, the aim of which will be to promote the awareness of the citizens about the protection of intellectual property, by educating them in purchasing habits of authentic products on a daily basis and to encourage them to do so, as well as to promote Daugavpils as a city that stands up for products of authentic origin and undertakes steps to fight against counterfeits and their distribution.
"During the coming year, Daugavpils and the Daugavpils University will host a series of joint activities related to intellectual property protection and authenticity. We also agreed with the Patent Office on incorporating these matters into the study process and on various activities for students, such as design competitions. Daugavpils is a university city and such projects definitely should be implemented together with the municipality," Arvīds Barševskis, Rector of the Daugavpils University, emphasized the importance of this project regarding education.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was followed by a lecture on intellectual property protection given by an expert from the Patent Office.
