Enforcement of intellectual property rights

The system for protection of intellectual property rights provides the legal protection to the right holders of their rights and interests in relation to the exploitation of protected subject matter, and prescribes legal measures which are conducted against persons who infringe those rights.

The right holder in general, has an exclusive right to use the subject matter of intellectual property protection (e.g. invention, trademark, copyright work). Any other person has to be given consent by the intellectual property right holder in respect of the specific use of protected subject matter. The infringement of intellectual property rights is an unauthorised exploitation of protected subject matter ( e.g. unauthorised reproduction and distribution of copyright work, unauthorised manufacturing and labelling of products under someone else’s trademark, reproductions of someone else’s industrial design etc.).

The term enforcement of intellectual property rights, implies implementation of legislative measures against persons who are infringing intellectual property rights.

Intellectual property rights are private rights, meaning that legal actions against the infringer of intellectual property rights are in general, initiated by the right holder. Procedures of enforcement of intellectual property rights are initiated ex officio in a limited number of legally prescribed cases.