Uzbekistan amends IP law with faster patent process, stricter enforcement

Uzbekistan recently enacted a new law amending its intellectual property legislation. The reforms streamline the registration process for industrial property by automatically issuing patent certificates through an electronic system. This replaces the previous 10-day waiting period that followed the publication of registration details.

The law also introduces stricter penalties for IP violations. Notably, Article 149 of the Criminal Code has been retitled from “Violation of copyright or inventors’ rights” to “Violation of moral rights of the author.”

Under the revised article, acts such as fraudulent claims of authorship, coercing co-authorship or the unauthorized disclosure of a work before its publication are now punishable by fines of up to 75 base calculation units, or Som30.9 million (US$2,530). A base calculation unit is the government’s standard benchmark for determining fines and taxes. Penalties also include restriction of rights for up to five years, community service, or up to two years restriction of freedom.

However, a provision allows first-time offenders to avoid criminal liability if they rectify the violation and compensate for material damages within 30 days of its discovery. These amendments to the Criminal Code will come into force three months after the law’s official publication.