International property (IP) refers to the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce (WIPO).
IP is divided into two categories:
Industrial Property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source &
Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works, and architectural designs.
The legal protection of patentable inventions in Greece is regulated by the Patents Act (Law 1733 / 1987 - Technology Transfer, Inventions, and Technological Innovation, Official Journal FEK A 171, 22-09-1987)
The most important document for IPR in Greece is the Copyright Act (Law 2121 / 1993 - Copyright, Related Rights and Cultural Matters, Official Journal FEK A 25, 04-03-1993)
The Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI) is the only legally qualified institution responsible for issues dealing with copyright protection in Greece. It is a legal entity under private law, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In the framework of its responsibilities OPI:
- Deals with any issue in general that may be raised in the field of copyright and related rights in Greece &
- Represents Greece before the competent international organizations, as well as the instruments of the EU