About Association

01.

Memorandum

In all the regions of the country, there are hundreds of enterprises and organizations, which make use in their activities various company names, trademarks, inventions, software and other intellectual property objects. The trends observed in the global and national markets show that the intellectual property sphere will develop the economy of the Republic of Belarus at a faster growing pace. The development of the national system of protection of intellectual property rights is also promoted by the growing attention of the state to this sphere. This conclusion follows, in particular, from the analysis of the 2012-2020 Strategy of the Republic of Belarus in the Sphere of Intellectual Property, which was approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of March 2, 2012, No. 205.

However, this pace of the progress in the sphere of intellectual property protection is constrained by a number of barriers. Both the normative-legal basis and the measures of the state support to the developing sphere of intellectual property that may become a powerful accelerator of the Belarusian economy need improvement. The solution of many problems is possible only under the consolidation of all the forces interested in the successful promotion of the efficient initiatives in defending and protecting the intellectual property. This is especially true in the context of Belarus' accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, which entails a number of specificities of trade among its members, increases the urgency of formulating and defending the collective interests of Belarusian businesses at the international level. It is the time for the business community and state structures to realize the commonality of goals and contribute, through consolidated efforts, to more efficient use of modern market instruments, one of the key among which is the intellectual property. The understanding of this important task has convinced us to establish the "BelBrand" Association for Intellectual Property Protection.

The Association is a voluntary union of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in activities in the sphere of their own production and sale of goods, of rendering services, sales of goods bearing famous foreign trademarks and brands, as well as in the sphere of execution of works and provision of services of protecting the intellectual property rights. The Association has undergone the state registration in the established order (Resolution of the Minsk City Executive Committee of 30.08.2010; the registration No. 191309736). Among the key activities of the Association are: to establish contacts with national, foreign and international organizations active in the sphere of protecting intellectual property rights and in related spheres; to represent the interests of the members of the Association in these organizations; to create a professional forum for debates on topical issues of intellectual property protection; and to defend the interests of businesses in drafting normative legal acts in the sphere of intellectual property at the national and international levels.

02.

Objectives of the Association

Our tasks

To provide the informational, consultative and methodological help and legal support to members of the Association in protecting their trademarks, company names and other intellectual property objects;
To represent the professional, legal, economic and other interests of the Association members in the bodies of state power and other organizations of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries, both within the structures of the Eurasian Economic Union and other international organizations.
Promotion of national brands;
Advocacy in favour of national rightholders on modern integration platforms (United Economic Area, Customs Union, etc.)
Formation of the policy of responsible use of intellectual property;
Creation of a professional discussion platform and atmosphere of constructive cooperation on issues of security and protection of intellectual property;
Improvement of awareness and educational level of practical use of intellectual property.

03.

Chairman of the Association

Taipov Albert Gainanovich, born in 1963, is married and has two children. He has a higher special military education, and a second university diploma (in the legal sphere) received in 1996 upon the graduation from the Belarusian State University. From 1980, he took his service in the armed forces, law enforcement bodies and units of special forces in the territories of Russia and Belarus. Since 1993, he worked as a legal adviser and the head of legal services in a variety of Russian and Belarusian enterprises, including the "Agroprombank" of Russia and structures of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Gazprom".

Mr Taipov has extensive experience in tax administration and financial management. Since 2007, he is engaged in protecting the interests of rightholders of trademarks, by setting up an efficient interaction with law enforcement, customs and tax authorities in the efforts to stop supplies to Belarus of counterfeit products (of such trademarks like the Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Smirnoff, Bacardi, Martini, Dewar's, Hennessy, L'Oreal, Nivea, Lacoste, Chanel, Ambi Pure, Kiwi, etc.). He actively participated in the establishment of the law enforcement and judicial practices concerning violations of intellectual property rights.

Since August 2010, Mr Taipov is the Chairman of the "BelBrand" Association for Intellectual Property Protection. In its activities the "BelBrand" Association is closely cooperating with the Eurasian Economic Commission. The Chairman of the "BelBrand" Association Albert Taipov is a member of the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property and of the Working Group on drafting proposals on the further application of the principle of exhaustion of the exclusive rights on intellectual property objects under the Collegium of the Eurasian Economic Commission. His overall work experience in law-related profession is more than 20 years. He has been representing his clients' interests in courts of various jurisdictions of Russia and Belarus in more than 500 cases.