How do you fight counterfeiting?

Counterfeiting is a growing problem that affects all sectors of Azerbaijan’s economy, from hi-tech to FMCG. Import and sale of pirate or counterfeit goods lowers the demand for legitimate goods, reducing the revenues of good-faith sellers and damaging the reputation of trademarks.

Azerbaijan’s Government is continuously modernizing the regulations governing the protection of intellectual property, which is reflected in the country’s Azerbaijan-2020: Look into the future development concept.

The customs authorities play a key role in combatting the counterfeit goods. To make the process even more efficient, a designated register has been created by the government to register the goods containing or using intellectual property assets. The register is regulated by Decree No. 323 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan dated 28 December 2012.

Recording goods in the register, among many other benefits, will:

·   Protect the market from poor-quality and counterfeit goods by disabling their import into Azerbaijan

·   Prevent the sales of original goods from declining

·   Identify the ‘pirates’ and help to compensate lost profit damages

·   Affirm and maintain strong market position

Using the register, the customs officers will be able to identify and seize counterfeit goods at the customs and inform trademark owners of their rights’ infringement.

The registration is valid up to five years and the trademark’s owner can extend it afterwards.

We are happy to talk if you are interested in more.