CLDP co-organized two workshops on intellectual property in Batumi, Georgia from July 13-16. On July 13, CLDP held a Media Workshop on Civil Intellectual Property (IP) Infringement Disputes for 20 journalists from national and local television and radio outlets. The program aimed to build the capacity of journalists to understand and cover IP issues, thereby raising awareness and improving understanding among the general public, as well as to respect IP rights in programming and protect IP in its own programs. On July 14-16, CLDP and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office co-sponsored a Workshop on Adjudication of Civil Intellectual Property Infringement for 26 judges from courts throughout Georgia.

Both programs were organized in coordination with the Georgian Copyright Association and the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia “Sakpatenti," whose experts made presentations and discussed numerous case studies based on recent cases in Georgia. The second workshop for judges was also coordinated with Georgia’s High School of Justice. Both programs featured U.S. federal judges, who discussed the U.S. approach to specific issues in intellectual property enforcement and best practices in approaching various related issues in adjudication, including use of expert witnesses, alternative dispute resolution methods, and determination of damages.

This program is part of a multi-year series of judicial trainings designed to address ongoing IP enforcement challenges in Georgia, funded by the U.S. Department of State.