During the last meeting of the Sejm, Members of the Polish Parliament adopted the amendment of provisions of the Industrial Property Law. All parliamentary clubs voted for the amendment. The amendment benefits exhibitors who present innovations at domestic exhibitions and it has been long expected by them. For many months now, Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry and many enterprises have been trying to reinstate the exhibition priority certificate repealed in 2007. Being aware of the importance of the exhibition priority for Polish companies, PCEI have been attempting to reinstate it for quite a long time. – These were the expectations of the economic circles in Poland, of innovation and design companies, which present new ideas at domestic exhibitions which have not been yet registered in the Patent Office. It was in their interest that we addressed MPs with a proposal to make positive changes in the amended Industrial Property Law – stresses Przemysław Trawa, Chairman of Poznań International Fair, President of the Board of PCEI. The bill aimed at amending the Industrial Property Law, initiated by Marek Niedbała MP, was signed by a few dozen of other Members of Parliament The majority of MPs supported the changes during works in the parliamentary commission. Senators were also unanimous in their support for the implementation of protection of utility models and industrial designs at domestic exhibitions. The amended Act was ultimately adopted by the Sejm unanimously during the meeting on September 11. Now the amended Act will be submitted to the President of Poland for his signature. So far the authors of utility models and industrial designs presented at public exhibitions in Poland, in order to guarantee the protection of industrial property rights, were forced to register the model in the Patent Office or in the Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market before the presentation at the exhibition. This situation has existed since 2007, when the provision guaranteeing such protection was repealed while amending the Industrial Property Law. Failing to fulfil the obligation of registration actually deprived the exhibitors of protection. When the amendment comes into force, the protective mechanism will be the exhibition priority certificate issued by the exhibition organizer where the presentation took place. – The announcement of legislative changes restoring the exhibitors’ privilege of priority at exhibitions in Poland is very important for us – stresses Paweł Babij, the CEO of INTERSERVIS from Łódź, Member of the Board of PCEI – Companies now will be able to present innovative solutions or even prototypes without any risk, even the ones which are not available on the market. The restored exhibition priority certificate will guarantee their legal protection. The exhibition priority certificate is used on many exhibition markets, including on the largest European market in Germany. According to exhibition experts, the amended Act, while protecting against unfair competition and theft of ideas, will have a positive influence on the number of innovative designs presented during exhibitions in Poland. This in turn will translate into the growing competitiveness of the Polish exhibition market.