The first patent system in Russian Empire was established by
czar Alexander I in 1812, through the publication of the
"Manifesto on the Privileges for Various Inventions and
Discoveries in Crafts and Arts".
However, after the October Revolution of 1917, the entire legal
system collapsed over a vast territory from the Carpathians to the
Pacific Ocean. Landowners, industrialists, craftsmen, and peasants
in the hinterland felt especially affected and feared threats to
their property.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) proclaimed
its independence in 1918. That year its Ministry of Trade and
Industry established the Technical Department of the Inventions.
This institution registered the first patents of the Ukrainian
State, which acted based on the old legislation of the Russian
Empire.
