Kazakhstan IP Update

According to statistics provided by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019, the number of producers who infringe intellectual property rights has increased compared to 2018.

The total amount of damage to rights holders due to the sale of counterfeit goods increased fivefold since 2018.

“In 2019, territorial government revenue authorities suspended goods production at 1,041 declarations of goods with intellectual property rights infringement signs for a total cost of $18 million (KZT 6.9 billion). In 2018, this figure was 468 declarations for goods with an amount of $3.5 million (KZT 1.2 billion),” the Committee noted.

The Committee also noted that the most frequently suspended declarations are on the following goods: automobile spare parts, computer equipment, perfumes, consumer goods, clothing and smartphones accessories, which are included in the customs register.

“In accordance with Articles 198 and 199 of the Code “On Customs Regulation”, if the customs authority has detected violation signs of the right holder during customs operations involving goods, included and not included in the Unified Customs Register of Intellectual Property of the Member States The EAEU or the Customs register of intellectual property of Kazakhstan, the release date for such goods is suspended for 10 days”.

Meanwhile, according to the Committee on Financial Monitoring, in 2019, 28 cases of economic smuggling were registered the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations. Only 8 cases out of 28 were sent to court.

Thus, we can observe that every year in Kazakhstan there is more activity concerning monitoring and policing counterfeit distribution of products, fake products, smuggling, protecting the rights of rights holders, as well as close cooperation with customs authorities in other countries.

Source: https://lsm.kz/vechno-spisyvayushie-v-kazahstane-obnaruzheny-poddelki-na-milliardy-tenge

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