Government has introduced preferential fee payments for veteran-owned businesses in the field of intellectual property

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution introducing special terms for the payment of fees for actions related to the protection of intellectual property rights for veteran-owned businesses.

The resolution stipulates that veteran entrepreneurs will pay:

• 25% of the established fee amount for actions related to the protection of rights to inventions, utility models, industrial designs, and semiconductor product layouts;
• 50% of the established fee amount—for actions related to trademarks and geographical indications.

These changes will reduce the costs for veteran-owned businesses associated with the legal protection of their brands, technological solutions, designs, and other intellectual property.

The resolution also includes safeguards to ensure the proper use of these benefits. In the event of a change in the applicant or the transfer of rights to an intellectual property object to a person who does not have veteran entrepreneur status, it will be necessary to pay the remaining portion of the fee to the full amount in the cases specified by the resolution.

Verification of veteran entrepreneur status will be conducted through the Unified State Register of War Veterans, specifically using the Trembita system for electronic interaction between state electronic information resources.

The practical implementation of the new fee payment terms will be ensured by UANIPIO (Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations), which serves as the National Intellectual Property Authority.

The decision is expected to promote the development of veteran entrepreneurship, the creation of new businesses, the strengthening of economic independence for male and female veterans, as well as the broader use of intellectual property as a tool for the development and protection of Ukrainian products and brands.

As a reminder, the decision was elaborated in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Veteran Entrepreneurship” and is aimed at supporting veterans who start or develop their own businesses, create new products, register brands, and protect their innovations.