Latvia

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LV

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Background of colaboration

Information about funding opportunities for R&D projects:


Name of the programme	Funding organisation	Countries	Research Actions	Limitations
Horizon 2020	European Commission	EU EU-other countries	Research activities; Collaboration; Staff exchange; Other.	The conditions and constraints are established. They depend on the type of the action or the specific actions.
National Research Programmes	Ministry of Education and Science		Main national R&D funding source.
Market Oriented Research Programme	Ministry of Education and Science		Supports cooperation between science and business.
Fundamental and Applied Research	Ministry of Education and Science		Projects comprising solution of a particular scientific problem; Projects of scientific cooperation involving inter-sectoral research to solve scientific problems.

Partner search facilities:


Name	Description	Scope	Costs
EC National Contact Points	Advice and individual assistance to establish cooperation. Advice and assistance for R&D cooperation in specific areas.	Given country - EU	Free of charge
Investment Opportunities Database	A matchmaking service, enabling potential investors and project partners to find suitable Latvian companies interested in M&A and joint venture opportunities.		Free of charge

Resources of information:


Name	Description	Costs
NETWATCH	Mapping networks; providing information on Joint Calls; analysing the impact of programme collaboration; describing the scope and results of individual networks; supporting mutual learning among transnational programme networks.	Free of charge
COST European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research	It is mainly an inter EU program but also offering cooperation with Israel. COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level.	Free of charge
EUREKA	EUREKA is an international initiative which coordinates efforts of governments, research institutes and commercial companies concerning innovation. Its members are the EU countries and 14 more from around the world including Russia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Albania.	Free of charge
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA)	LIAA is a one-stop solution for foreign companies looking at establishing a new business or expanding their base in Latvia.	Free of charge
The POLARIS process	Supports collaboration between the private sector and leading research and academic institutions.	Free of charge

Institutions supporting R&D collaboration:


Name	Description
Ministry of Education and Science	The main governmental body responsible for R&D policy.
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA)	LIAA supports companies in Latvia trading internationally, as well as overseas businesses seeking partners or locations in Latvia; administrates state support programmes for entrepreneurs, co-financed from EU funds.
State Education Development Agency (VIAA)	VIAA is responsible for various policy areas and activities: implementation os EU Structural Funds, finnacial instruments and grants, cooperation witg foreign institutions, implementation of international research.

Legal framework for R&D cooperation:


Name of the agreement	Description
European Science Foundation	Coordination of international research programmes between member states.
Scientific and technological co-operation agreements	Agreements between Latvia and 27 countries, among others Israel, India, Vietnam, China and most of the EU member states.

General IP info

Categories of IP rights:


Category of IPR	Name of the law	Registration needed	Where to register
Copyright	Copyright Law of 2000	no	-
Patents	Patent Law of 2007	yes	Patent Office
Utility models	not protected	-	-
Trade marks	Law on Trademarks and Indications of Geographical Origin of 1999	yes	Patent Office
(Industrial) designs	Law on Designs of 2004	yes	Patent Office
Geographical Indications	Law on Trademarks and Indications of Geographical Origin of 1999	yes	Patent Office
Know How	Excerpt of Law on Competition of 1997	no	-
Plant Breeders Rights	Plant Varieties Protection Law of 2005	yes	State Plant Protection Service
Topographies of Semiconductor Products	Law on Protection of Topographies of Semiconductor Products of 1998	yes	Patent Office

IPRs' databases:


Name of the source	What information can I find?	Language
Patent Office	Links to external databases. There is no national database.	English
Espacenet	Patents granted by European Patent Office.	English
WIPO IP Services	Contains database of PCT patents, International Trademarks and Designs registration and international registration of appellations of origin.	English

Research related limitations and exceptions to IPRs:


Category of IP right	Type of limitation	Description	Relevant regulation
Patents/Utility models/Designs	!!! PATENTS/DESIGNS ONLY!!! - Prior user rights	Person who has exploited an invention in a good faith before priority date keeps the right to exploatation of such invention.	Patent Law of 2007, Section 22 Law on Designs of 2004, Section 14
Patents/Utility models	!!! PATENTS ONLY!!! - These kinds of activities do not infringe the rights of the owner:	Acts performed for personal needs and non-commercial purposes; Experimental or investigative activities; Examination of the subject of a patented invention, as well as the research of medicinal products or plant protection products; Individual preparation of a medicine in a pharmacy according to a medical prescription; Utilisation of the invention in the construction or exploitation of such a foreign vehicle which temporarily or accidentally is located in the territory of Latvia if the invention is utilized only for the vehicle.	Patent Law of 2007, Section 20
Industrial Designs
Topographies of Semiconductor Products
Trade Marks	These kinds of activities do not infringe the rights of the owner:	Using in the trade name, croporate name, name or adress, indications concerning the kind, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, geographical origin, the time of production of goods or of rendering of services, or other characteristics of goods or services; Necessary use to indicate the intended purpose of a product or service, in particular as accessories or spare parts.	Law on Trademarks and Indications of Geographical Origin of 1999, Section 5
Copyright	Using in these fields shall not be considered as an infringement:	Use of a work for informational purposes; Use of a work for educational and research purposes; Reproduction of a work for the needs of the visually impaired and hearing impaired; Use of works for the needs of libraries, archives and museums; Reproduction of a work for purposes of judicial proceedings; Use of a work on public display; Free use of a work in a public performance; Free recordings for ephemeral use by broadcasting organisations; Temporary reproduction of a work.	Copyright Law of 2000, Sections 20-27, 33

IP Office:


Name of the office	Scope of activities
Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia	The Office grants patents and rights to designs, trademarks, semiconductor products and designation of origin and geographical indications.

IP treaties & agreements:


Berne Convention	introduces minimum standard of copyright protection	yes
Paris Convention	establishes minimum standards of industrial property protection	yes
TRIPS		yes
WIPO conventions		yes
PCT		yes
EPC		yes
Madrid Protocol	allows registration of trademarks via international route	yes
Hague Convention		yes
UPOV		yes

Ownership rules:


Default (statutory) regime for the ownership	Author / researcher
Default (statutory) regime for employee’s creations	Employer
Ownership of research results in publicly sponsored research	Intellectual property that has been created as a result of scientific activity financed from the State budget shall be the property of the State.
Specific ownership rules for public HEIs/research organisations and possibility to modify it contractually	A scientist has exclusive rights to the intellectual property that has been created as a result of his or her scientific activity, unless otherwise stated in a contract. If a scientist has been working on the basis of a contract, the contract shall determine his or her rights to the property created as a result of scientific activity.
Specific ownership regime for students/ visiting researchers/doctoral students and possibility to modify it contractually	Not specified
Related law (name & link)	Copyright Law of 2000 Patent Law of 2007 Law on Scientific Activity, Section 8

Dissemination rules:


Limitations on publication	Not specified
Specific rules regarding publication of scientific results financed by public bodies	Intellectual property that has been created as a result of scientific activity financed from the State budget shall be owned of the State.
Non-disclosure clauses in research contracts	Not specified

Specific incentives for innovation activities:


Related Law (name & Link)	Information not available
Incentives provided by law for individual researchers	Information not available
Related Law (name & Link)	Information not available
Incentives provided by HEI for researcher	Information not available

Form of commercialisation:


Form of commercialisation	Requirements regarding form of contract	Limitations for HEIs	HEIs Unit responsible for commercialisation	Related law (name & link)
Assignment of patents and other IPRs	Written form (provisions of the contract not meeting the written form are invalid). An entry in the Patent Office register is required.	No	Technology Transfer Office	Patent Law of 2007
Licensing of IPRs	Written form (provisions of the contract not meeting the written form are invalid).	No	Technology Transfer Office	Patent Law of 2007 Copyright Law of 2000

Revenue sharing:


Remuneration/ Participation in revenues	Statutory rules regarding remuneration	Statutory rules regarding revenue sharing	Internal HEIs rules regarding revenue sharing	Related law (name & link)
Patents and other IPRs	Shall be determined in the contract of employment or collective agreement.	Not specified	Not specified	Patent Law of 2007
Copyrights	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	Copyright Law of 2000

Models of contracts used in R&D:


Type of contracts	Short description	Source (link)
Information not available