11.11.2018
Ms. Maria Kjoseska, MSc, European patent attorney, Ambassador Prof. Dr. Gjorgji Filipov, European patent attorney and Liljana Filipova, dipl. Eng,, European patent attorney participated in the work of the 85th Council of European Patent Attorneys, which was held in Helsinki from 9-11. November 2018. About 200 representatives from the 38 countries signatories to the European Patent Convention took part in the work of the Council. On the first day, a seminar was held on the topic "The latest development in the European Patent Organization", initiated after the start of the mandate of the new EPO president, Antonio Campinos. Unusually, almost all delegates attended the seminar.
The second day was dedicated to the working reports submitted by the Chairman of the Board, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Internal Audit Committee, the EPI Finance, the Budget, the EPPS, the OCC, the By-Law, the EPO Finance, Disciplinary and the Committee for Harmonization. Previously, a video speech by the EPO President Dr. Campinos was emitted. After each submitted report questions were asked or the comment was commented on. At the end of the working part, a discussion was held on the topic "The future of our (patent agent’s) profession," where it was debated about the role of artificial intelligence in inventions and in the profession of patent attorneys (Whether the robot could be inventor or holder of a patent right?), but also around the "hot topic" - a small number of patents applications from countries that joined the European Patent Organization later than founder’s countries (with the exception of Slovenia) after 2000. On 11.11.18, an excursion was organized for the delegates in order to get familiar with the cultural, historical and technical and technological achievements of Finland. It is agreed that the next meeting will be held in Sofia in March 2019.