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IP Rights in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization created in December 1991. At present, the CIS has twelve (12) member states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The CIS encourages cooperation in economic, military, and political affairs and has some well-defined powers in the coordination of trade, finance, lawmaking, and security.

Policymakers in the CIS have long recognized the need for having Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in place to protect the inventions and creative works of individuals and firms. IP has acquired unprecedented importance in the CIS, and matters concerning the protection, management, evaluation, and enforcement of IPRs have become crucial. So, let us now make ourselves familiar with the IP laws (covering trademarks, patents, industrial designs, and copyright) prevalent in all previously-mentioned member states of the CIS.