The Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic is a central state administration body operating in accordance with the Act No. 575/2001 Coll. on organisation of governmental activities and of central state administration, in the field of industrial property protection, i.e. patents, utility models, designs, topographies of semiconductor products, trade marks and designations of origin /geographical indications. The Office also maintains the patent and trade mark documentations, makes them available to public, and acts as a special patent information centre in Slovakia. In the field of international relations the Office administers international treaties concerning industrial property protection which the Slovak Republic is bound with. The Office fosters and encourages the development of technical creativity, education and popularisation of intellectual property.