On April 3, 2025, the event “IP Court in Ukraine: the last page or a new chapter?” was organized by the UBA Intellectual Property Committee jointly with the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation.

The event was aimed at a comprehensive discussion of the role of the High Intellectual Property Court in the legal system of Ukraine, assessment of international experience in establishing specialized IP courts, as well as determination of the professional community's professional position on the expediency of preserving, transforming or reforming the concept of this court.

The event was opened by Tetyana Harebava, Head of the UBA Committee on Intellectual Property, Head of the Legal Department of Sport Labs Group, attorney at law.

The moderator was Yaroslav Ognevyuk, Member of the UBA Board, Managing Partner of AMBASSADORS, attorney at law, patent attorney of Ukraine.

The discussion was attended by leading intellectual property experts, representatives of the judiciary, justice, business, professional community and patent attorneys:

Igor Benedysyuk, Secretary of the Judicial Chamber for Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Antitrust and Competition Cases of the Commercial Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court

Yevhen Petrov, judge of the Supreme Court in the Civil Court of Cassation

Roman Sabodash, member of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine

Serhiy Burlakov, member of the High Council of Justice

Olga Popikova, member of the High Council of Justice

Yulia Prokhoda, Director of INTELS-Ukraine, attorney, patent attorney of Ukraine, member of the Board of the National Association of Patent Attorneys of Ukraine

Olena Orliuk, Director of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations

Vladyslav Bilotskyi, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations

Natalia Denis, intellectual property professional at the IPR Watch Center

Yuriy Romaniuk, Head of the Department of Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement at the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations

Tetyana Harebava, Head of the UBA Committee on Intellectual Property, Head of the Legal Department at Sport Labs Group, attorney at law.

Tetyana Ognevyuk, Deputy Chairman of the UBA Committee on Intellectual Property, Partner of Dispute Resolution Practice at AMBASSADORS

Oleksandr Mamunya, Deputy Chairman of the UBA Committee on Intellectual Property, Managing Partner at Mamunya IP

Victoria Sopilnyak, Member of the Board of the UBA Committee on Intellectual Property, Partner at Dub

During the event, the participants discussed the urgency of establishing and launching the High Court of Intellectual Property to ensure effective protection of intellectual property rights in Ukraine, as well as its importance in the context of European integration, in particular, fulfillment of obligations under the Association Agreement with the EU. The key needs of business, rights holders and society were analyzed, as well as the reasons for the delay in launching the IP Court, including legal, organizational and political barriers.

The participants shared international experience in the functioning of specialized IP courts, emphasizing the importance of effective IP justice as a factor in attracting foreign investment, developing the innovative economy and strengthening trust in the judicial system. Particular attention was paid to discussing the concept of the future IP Court in Ukraine: preserving the current model or transforming it, and outlined the necessary practical steps to launch it - financing, procedural changes, staffing and political support.

Results and next steps

As a result of the lively and professional discussion, the participants emphasized the key role of the launch of the IP Court for strengthening the legal system, economic development and fulfillment of Ukraine's international obligations. At the same time, the roundtable was not only a platform for exchanging views, but also resulted in the formulation of a concrete step: an initiative to create a working group with the participation of representatives of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, the High Council of Justice, the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, the Supreme Court and other stakeholders was announced.

The goal of the working group will be to develop a realistic action plan for the early launch of the IP Court, as all the necessary legislative prerequisites already exist.