Latvia Amends Administrative Violations Code IP Provisions

According to the website of the Latvian PTO, Latvia has recently adopted a number of amendments to the Administrative Violations Code paragraphs related to intellectual property rights violations.

Article 166.17 of the Code was previously limited to trademark infringement, but it now also includes provisions on design infringement. Moreover, these provisions are now applicable not only to individuals, but also to legal entities.

For IP rights violations, the penalties for individuals range from EUR 285 (USD 368) to EUR 715 (USD 923). Penalties for legal entities range from EUR 1,425 (USD 1,840) to EUR 14,225 (USD 18,400).

The amended Article 155.8, related to copyright infringement, states that a legal entity can be fined with up to EUR 7,115 (USD 9,185).

Also, the newly amended Articles 148 and 149 of the Criminal Law, which prescribe sanctions for copyright and related rights violations, state that the infringers can be sentenced to up to six years of prison, depending on the nature of the violation.

For more information, please contact Masa Lopicic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Latvian PTO