Ukraine’s Supreme Court Upholds Gestors’ Legal Position in Landmark Copyright Dispute

28/ 07/ 2026

Listen to online Stop   We are pleased to share another successful outcome achieved by the Gestors team. Following our clients successful award of a public procurement contract for the production and printing of law enforcement officer’s identification cards, competitors filed a lawsuit alleging that their production infringed the competitors copyright. After nearly three years of litigation through all court instances, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld our clients position.  The Court agreed with Gestors’ legal arguments, confirming that once a template is officially approved by a central executive authority as part of an official document, it is no longer protected by copyright. This prevents exclusive private rights from restricting the State’s ability to procure official documents and perform its public functions. Importantly, the Supreme Court formulated this legal position for the first time in Ukrainian copyright law, making the decision significant not only for the parties involved but also for future judicial practice. The matter demonstrates Gestors’ capability to handle complex disputes at the intersection of intellectual property, public procurement and administrative regulation, successfully representing clients before the Supreme Court in landmark cases. The project was led by Yaroslav Salenko, Partner, and Serhii Koroied, Counsel at Gestors.

We are pleased to share another successful outcome achieved by the Gestors team.

Following our client’s successful award of a public procurement contract for the production and printing of law enforcement officer’s identification cards, competitors filed a lawsuit alleging that their production infringed the competitors’ copyright. After nearly three years of litigation through all court instances, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld our client’s position. 

The Court agreed with Gestors’ legal arguments, confirming that once a template is officially approved by a central executive authority as part of an official document, it is no longer protected by copyright. This prevents exclusive private rights from restricting the State’s ability to procure official documents and perform its public functions.

Importantly, the Supreme Court formulated this legal position for the first time in Ukrainian copyright law, making the decision significant not only for the parties involved but also for future judicial practice.

The matter demonstrates Gestors’ capability to handle complex disputes at the intersection of intellectual property, public procurement and administrative regulation, successfully representing clients before the Supreme Court in landmark cases.

The project was led by Yaroslav Salenko, Partner, and Serhii Koroied, Counsel at Gestors.