“The conference brought together the key actors of mediation, the judiciary and authors”
The conference “Advantages of resolving intellectual property rights disputes through mediation”, which was held today at the Hilton Hotel in Podgorica, brought together representatives of mediation, the judiciary, authors, authors’ organizations and the business community, confirming that mediation is increasingly taking the place of one of the key mechanisms of the modern legal system.
The event, organized by the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Ministry of Economic Development, opened an important dialogue on the need for a more efficient, faster and sustainable approach to the resolution of disputes in the field of intellectual property, an area of strategic importance in the era of digitization and the global market.
“Mediation as a response to the challenges of modern business”
In her opening address, the director of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Maja Golović Vojinović, pointed out that traditional court proceedings often represent a long and expensive process that can further damage business relations.
“In areas that depend on cooperation, innovation and the exchange of knowledge, the preservation of business relationships has immeasurable value. This is exactly where mediation shows its full strength,” said Golović Vojinović, stressing that as many as 624 cases from the field of intellectual property have been received before the Center since 2021, and that it is necessary to additionally encourage authors to more actively use this mechanism to protect their rights.
“Faster, cheaper and more efficient, the way to more accessible justice”
Director General of the Directorate for Criminal and Civil Legislation in the Ministry of Justice, Jelena Grdinić, emphasized that disputes in this area often last for years and carry high costs, while mediation enables faster, more economical and more discreet resolution.
“Mediation gives the parties control over the process and opens up space for creative, business-viable solutions that court rulings cannot offer,” Grdinić pointed out, adding that the changes to the Law on Alternative Dispute Resolution from 2025 are aimed at making mediation the first choice in resolving certain types of disputes.
Intellectual property as the foundation of the knowledge economy”
The Director General of the Internal Market and Competition Directorate at the Ministry of Economic Development, Jasna Vujović, pointed out that intellectual property is one of the key pillars of the economy based on knowledge and innovation, and that Montenegro has made significant progress in this area, with a high degree of compliance with European Union law.
“In a world where innovation and knowledge are the key capital, mediation enables disputes to be resolved faster, easier and at lower costs, while preserving business relationships and protecting sensitive data,” said Vujović, emphasizing that the modern approach to protecting intellectual property rights also implies a stronger application of alternative mechanisms.
“Common conclusion: mediation as a standard, not an alternative”
During the panel discussions, experts in their fields Dragana Ranitović, Dijana Raičković, Itana Folić, Ana Stanković Mugoša and Ibrahim Smailović additionally emphasized the importance of increasing awareness of the benefits of mediation, improving the capacity of mediators and more intensive cooperation between institutions, so that this dispute resolution model would be even more accessible and effective in practice.
It was concluded that mediation is not only an alternative, but an indispensable tool of the modern legal and economic system, which contributes to faster realization of justice, strengthening of legal certainty and development of a competitive business environment.
The conference ended in a constructive atmosphere, with a clear message that the future of resolving disputes in the field of intellectual property lies precisely in mediation.