Attention Partners and Clients!

Bolotov & Partners team has the following to propose:

On October 15, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a roundtable discussion announcing plans to reform the country’s intellectual property legislation.

According to the preliminary proposal, various laws governing intellectual property will be consolidated into a single new law. This initiative will also provide an opportunity to introduce amendments aimed at improving the legal framework for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

We would like to ensure that your suggestions and practical experience are taken into account in this process, as they could contribute significantly to more effective protection and enforcement of your company’s intellectual property rights in Kazakhstan.

The proposed amendments are expected to cover the following areas:

• Trademarks (bad-faith registrations, disputes concerning similarity, examination procedures);

• Online marketplaces and expedited removal of counterfeit products;

• Copyright and a unified digital platform for collective rights management;

• Artificial intelligence;

• Industrial designs and preparations for accession to the hague system;

• Geographical indications;

• Customs enforcement;

• Criminal liability for intellectual property infringements;

• Specialized patent court;

• Genetic resources;

• Creative economy.

This list is not exhaustive, and proposals concerning other aspects of intellectual property law are also being considered.

The Ministry intends to establish specialized working groups to address each of these areas.

Our partner, Zhanat Nurmagambetov, has been invited to participate in the Ministry of Justice’s working group. This gives us an opportunity to bring practical challenges faced by our clients directly to the attention of policymakers and present proposals on behalf of a group of clients rather than a single company.

We have already developed a number of proposals of our own and would also be pleased to advocate for your ideas and recommendations.

Should you be interested in these services, please let us know by replying to the following email: amolotova@bolotovip.com until November 15.