Round Table of the International Trademark Association (INTA)

On December 6, 2016 the first ever INTA Round Table in Kazakhstan and Central Asia on improvement of the legislation in the field of enforcement of trademark with participation of representatives of the business community, and a number of patent attorneys – members of INTA was held in Almaty.

The host of venue and the main speakers were employees of Bolotov & Partners LLP in cooperation with the Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” of the Almaty City.
The main purpose of the round table was to increase awareness and the professional level of TM rights holders, to discuss problems arising in connection with the protection of TMs, as well as making offers about what amendments, according to the patent attorneys and right holders’ opinion, may additionally be submitted for consideration and further inclusion in the legislation in the field of intellectual property.

The event was built in the meeting format and free discussion of speeches: participants discussed the latest amendments to the legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of intellectual property, including those relating to the reduction of terms of consideration of applications and registration of intellectual property, publication of information on applications for registration of trademarks, payment compensation for infringement of trademark rights, the possibility of expansion of pre-trial settlement of disputes and other issues.

The round table was attended by representatives of the business community, interested organizations, entrepreneurs, patent attorneys. Discussion of new trademark protection opportunities and ways to further improvement of legislation will continue, and we invite interested parties to cooperate with us in this direction.

Participants of the INTA Round Table highly regarded the proposed amendments to the IP laws, their quality and expected impact on the level of enforcement of the TM rights in Kazakhstan.

Reference
INTA – the global association of trademark owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property in order to protect consumers and to promote fair and effective commerce. INTA’s members are more than 6,700 organizations from 190 countries (www.inta.org).
Bolotov and Partners LLP – one of the few law firms dedicated exclusively to intellectual property matters in Kazakhstan since 1994 and is currently working in the other Central Asian republics. It has been actively involved in drafting and discussing amendments to legislative acts in the area of IP rights protection and representation of interests of local and foreign rights holders.