Law on Scientific Activity (2005)

This Law prescribes the unity of science and higher education, the rights, liabilities, independence, and academic freedom of scientists, professional and social security, and the competence and obligations of State authorities in the ensuring of scientific activity. The purpose of this Law is to strengthen the role of the State in the fostering of science as a particularly important factor in the development of society. State scientific institutes include Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, Institute of Physical Energetics, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, and Latvian Forestry Research Institute "Silava", and also Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR". Notably, the Law also provides for property rights of a state scientific institution to an invention or a plant variety; property rights of state scientific institution inventors to an invention or a plant variety; taking of decisions to register the property rights to a new invention or plant variety; protection of the property rights to an invention or a plant variety; use of the rights to an invention or a plant variety for commercial purposes (commercialisation); and right to remuneration from the income obtained as a result of the use of the property rights to an invention or a plant variety for commercial purposes (commercialisation).