IBC Co-Organizes Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights Protection

On December 10, "Intellectual Assets as a Foundation for Competitive Advantage" seminar was held in Bishkek, organized by the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic together with the law firm Gorodissky & Partners, in partnership with the International Business Council. Held at the Ministry's Innovation Center, the event brought together more than 100 representatives from business, academia, and government agencies. Opening remarks were delivered by Kemel Sadykov, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic; Askar Sydykov, Executive Director of the IBC; and Cholpon Dootalieva, Director of the Gorodissky & Partners branch office. Speakers noted that intellectual assets — brands, technologies, developments, and digital content — are becoming a key tool for boosting business competitiveness, and that effective legal protection directly affects companies' stability and their ability to attract investment. The program covered trademark registration and protection, working with customs registers, the risks of counterfeiting and parallel imports, ways to combat infringement online and on marketplaces, the legal aspects of using artificial intelligence, as well as the practice of licensing, rights assignment, franchising, and pledging intellectual assets. Experts presented real-world cases on brand protection, patenting developments, and monetizing the results of intellectual activity. The seminar served as a platform for sharing experience and discussing modern tools for managing intellectual assets. The IBC will continue to support initiatives that strengthen dialogue between business and government and contribute to developing Kyrgyzstan's innovation economy.