On October 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting on measures to improve the system for protecting intellectual property objects, the presidential press service said.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that in the wake of development of science and innovations, turning the scientific achievements into a product with high added value, it is crucial to ensure protection of intellectual property. Brand products are highly valued in the world. The share of intellectual property is at 45% of GDP in Europe, 12% of GDP in China and 7% in Russia, he said.
“For 30 years we have moved away from the world market - this is our reality ... Unfortunately, in this regard, our country lags far behind world achievements. Neither the central authoritites, nor the local have paid attention to the protection of intellectual property over many years. As a result, there was a brain drain of scientists-inventors and researchers. In such conditions, domestic scientific institutions have not been able to effectively create innovations, and industries are not in a position to create developments and brands in demand,” the press service said.
The Ministry of Justice and the Intellectual Property Agency were instructed to develop a three-year program for the development of the area, organizing its discussion with the participation of all departments and provinces, universities and research institutions. The necessity of introducing a system of benefits, stimulating authors of intellectual property, remuneration of patent holders was emphasized.
According to the press service, about 4,500 intellectual property items are registered in the country annually, including over 2,000 trademarks. For example, the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Complex has registered 35 inventions over the past 10 years, the economic effect of 16 of which surpassed than 400 billion soums, or US$ 40 million. Currently, negotiations are underway to implement these technologies to foreign gold mining enterprises, the statement said.
It is noted that such developments are registered abroad, and not in Uzbekistan due to the inappropriate cost assessment system. As a result, many inventions remain unmonetized.
The president instructed to create a platform for industrial patents In the first quarter of 2021, which will host intellectual property objects of industries, as well as create a database on the intellectual property of enterprises and universities.
Last year, about 400 inventions, 110 utility models, 170 industrial designs, 36 selection achievements were registered in the country, but only 43 scientific developments were commercialized. Therefore, it is advisable to hold "electronic trade fairs" of scientific achievements, the press service pointed.
“It is necessary to ensure cooperation between patent owners and entrepreneurs,” the president said.
Only 72 domestic brands have been internationally registered. “Such recognizable products as Chust knives, Samarkand flat bread, Margilan adras, Sherabad pomegranate, Altyaryk and Parkent grapes, Khorezm melons, Surkhandarya persimmons can be registered as provincial brands and actively promoted in the international market,” the statement says.
The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade has been instructed to expand the international registration of local brands and support their accession to the global market.
For entrepreneurs, it is planned to conduct trainings on the creation and protection of intellectual property at the Tashkent Law University and law faculties of regional universities.
The need to develop a program and an electronic platform for branding the products of entrepreneurs, holding brand fairs in the provinces was emphasized, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
He noted that the practice of registration by individual entrepreneurs of trademarks identical to well-known international brands impedes the flow of foreign investment. Instructions were given for improving the situation in this area.
Another issue that was discussed at the meeting was the commercial use of works of art and literature without the consent of the author. For example, online torrents in Uzbekistan, which charge monthly fees for viewers subscription, have a databease of more than 30,000 films, TV series, music clips and cartoons, but the authors do not receive any royalties.
The Information and Mass Communications Agency and the Intellectual Property Agency were instructed to study the video-music sites, radio and TV channels, to ensure the interests of authors.
“If we ensure the protection of intellectual property, this will also serve as a solid foundation for the third Renaissance,” summed up the president.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev believes that if the issue of protecting intellectual property is not raised at the state level, then Uzbekistan will not be able to be competitive in 10 years.
