MOSCOW, May 20 (RAPSI) – Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko has proposed setting up a federal agency responsible for Intellectual Property issues under the Government’s authority.

As of today, more than 20 different agencies deal with Intellectual Property rights, she said at a Federation Council meeting on Monday. The Science and Education Ministry drafts and implements government policy in Intellectual Property; the Economic Development Ministry draws up regulations for the oversight and control of Intellectual Property; and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) provides legal protection to inventions.

Two years ago, the government planned to establish a special agency of this kind, but after the new government was restructured, “things resumed their natural course,” she said, and Rospatent became subordinated to the Economic Development Ministry.

“The lack of an effective Intellectual Property management system leads to inefficiency, poor coordination between the different agencies and to conflicts of law. As a result, the cycle of converting new ideas into products becomes disrupted,” Matviyenko said.