Poland follows the European intellectual property regulations on the copyright, patents, trademark and industrial design. Poland has yet to implement the EU 2019 Directives on copyright applicable to online transmission by radio and television organizations and to re-broadcasting of television and radio programs. Polish government is currently conducting public consultations on the proposed regulations.   

The organization in charge of copyrights policy in Poland is the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage while the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland is responsible for the patents, trademark, and industrial design issues.

IP Resources   

A wealth of information on protecting IP is freely available to United States rights holders.  Some excellent resources for companies regarding intellectual property include the following:

For information about patent, trademark, or copyright issues, including enforcement issues in the United States and other countries, contact the “STOP! Hotline” at 1-866-999-HALT or visit the Stop Fakes website maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

For more information about registering trademarks or obtaining designs or utility patents (both in the United States as well as in foreign countries), contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at 1-800-786-9199.  For more information about registering copyrighted works in the United States, contact the U.S. Copyright Office at 1-202-707-5959.

For more information about how to evaluate, protect, and enforce intellectual property rights and how these rights may be important for businesses, please visit the Resources section of the STOP Fakes website.  For information on obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights and market-specific IP Toolkits, consult the STOP Fakes IPR Toolkits. The toolkits contain detailed information on protecting and enforcing IP in specific markets, and contact information of IP offices abroad and government officials available to assist SMEs.  For more information, please see the webpage on Protecting Intellectual Property.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes the Special 301 Report on an annual basis. This report provides a review of IP protection and enforcement for United States trading partners around the world. In the 2022 edition of the Report, USTR highlights the negative market access implications for United States producers due to the European Union’s initiatives to protect geographical indications in Europe and third-country markets. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce has positioned IP attachés in key markets around the world, including an attaché at the U.S. Mission to the European Union whose office covers the European Union and its Member States.  For additional information on Member States’ protection of property rights, please consult the Department of Commerce’s Country Commercial Guides for individual Member States.

Resources

IP Poland

• IP and Copyright Office: Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
• Patents, Trademarks, Design: The Patent office of the Republic of Poland
• Polish Law on Copyright and Related Rights 
• Industrial Property Law in Poland
• Overview of IP protection systems in Poland  

IP in the EU and international organizations  

• Copyright in the EU  
• European Patent Office (EPO)
• European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
• Database of laws of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Lex)  

State Department’s Investment Climate Statements includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in foreign economies.