NEWS

From August 25 to 27, 1999, an international seminar on copyright and related rights protection was held in Bishkek for Central Asian Countries organized by the State Agency of Intellectual Property under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent) and with the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

There are variety of problems were discussed at the seminar concerning copyright and related rights protection for Central Asian Countries. Among them matters of authors economic rights protection were considered as well as the rights of other right owners. Legislative base on copyright protection have been discussed and problems of struggle with “piracy” in this sphere.

At the seminar along with the representatives of Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, USA, Russia and Central Asia countries also took part authors, performers, creative unions of Kyrgyzstan. Concretely, seminar participants were interested with reports of Mr. Jorgen Blomqvist Director of Copyright Law Division of WIPO, Mr. Mihaly Ficsor a distinguished specialist former Assistant of WIPO Director General, Mr. Boris Kokin Senior Legal Officer Division for Cooperation with Certain Countries in Europe and Asia “International Conventions and Treaties in the Field of Copyright and Related Rights”, “Modernization of National Office Structures. Role and activities of the state administrations, private and academic organizations.”

At the seminar representatives of invited countries have made speeches on realization of norms of international treaties and agreements in the field of copyright and related rights.

Participants of the seminar have submitted their reports for discussion: Ms. Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, Copyright Office, (Library of Congress) on the theme: Copyright and Related Rights for the XXI st Century, Developments in the USA”, and Mr. Volker Schofisch, Head of Copyright law Section, Ministry of Justice of Germany on the theme “Copyright and Related Rights for the XXI st Century, Developments in the European Community” and answered for many questions of authors.

The report of Mr. Roman O. Omorov, Director of the State Agency of Intellectual Property under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent) on the theme “Development of Copyright and Related Rights System in Kyrgyzstan” in which he elucidated very broadly matters in the field of copyright protection in our country nowadays and relevant mutual problems, completely disclosed achievements and insufficiencies in the system of contracts conclusion with authors, rights protection and payment of royalties.

Discussion on intellectual property matters took place with participation of Mr. Matthew Kennedy, Legal Affairs Officer, Intellectual Property Division of the World Trade Organization, Mr. Anatoly Mordvinov, Deputy Director of the Regional Representation of the International Federation of Phonographic Industry in Russia and CIS countries, Mr. Andrey Alyabiev, First Deputy Chairman of the Board, Russian Authors Society (RAO), as well as the representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

3 days seminar made certain impulse not only for the development of copyright and related rights system in Kyrgyzstan but also for the general authors creativity in the Central Asian Region.