PROBLEMS OF EXHAUSTION OF THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO EXPORT UNDER THE LEGISLATION OF UKRAINE

The article examines the problems of normative establishment in the legislation of Ukraine of the exclusive right to export goods containing protected intellectual property objects, as well as the conditions and grounds for applying of legal norms enshrining the principle of exclusive intellectual property rights exhaustion to the exclusive right to export. Considering the limitation of the protection of exclusive rights to the territory of each individual state, the paper examines the problems of the territorial aspect (territorial models) of the exhaustion of rights, as well as the influence of exclusive rights to import, distribution and export on the implementation of international trade. The article notes that the right to export is directly established in the current domestic legislation of Ukraine only in respect of certain protected intellectual property objects, and substantiates the view that, given the inexhaustible list of property rights (ways of usage) for many other protected objects, the exclusive right of rightholders to export must also be recognized in respect of such objects. Concerning the implementation of export operations by the licensee the paper substantiates the point of view according to which, if in the license agreement the territory of validity of licensing rights is limited to the territory of Ukraine, then the licensee receives permission for distribution within the scope of this subjective right (i. e. within Ukraine) and, accordingly, is not entitled to export if there are no compelling reasons to consider such a prohibition as a way of restricting competition, abuse of right, etc. Regarding the export of goods by their purchasers after the first legal sale of such goods in a particular country, the paper notes that, despite the lack of direct instructions in the legislation, it can be assumed that the exclusive right to export should be exhausted after the first legal sale of goods containing protected objects, unless there are other grounds to believe that the export of such goods may further harm the rights and essential interests of the rightholder in the country where such initial introduction of goods into circulation took place (in the country of origin of the goods).