|  On 25 November 2004, a parliamentary hearings on "Civil and Criminal Mechanisms to Protect the Consumer Market Against Counterfeit and Fake Goods" was held at the RF State Duma.
CIPR, along with other key IP and consumer associations and rightsholders, presented recommendations for IP legislation, enforcement measures, public education to strengthen protection for consumers, at the parliamentary hearing. The draft recommendations, as well as the press release issued by the Union of Consumer Market Participants, are available for download at the end of this letter.  Representatives of numerous Russian ministries and agencies were present at the parliamentary hearing. Speakers included Nadezhda Nazina, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection; Andrei Kudryashov, Head of the Tariff and Nontariff Department of the RF Federal Customs Service; Svetlana Korosteleva, Deputy Director, Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks; and, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitrary and Procedural Legislation, Pyotr Shelisch, who chaired the hearing.
 Private sector speakers included Alexander Zaitsev, Expert for the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives from the, and representatives of the Russian Anti-Piracy Organization (RAPO), Rusbrand, International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), other IP organizations and consumer groups, as well as IP rightsholders.
Romans Baumanis, CIPR’s Baltic States Representative, made a presentation on the CIPR-REACT anti-counterfeiting enforcement program in Latvia and its possible applications for Russia. Mr. Baumanis' presentation is available for download below.  The hearing had over 250 attendees, including many from Russia's regions. Over 30 of CIPR's corporate and associate members, as well as other key IP partners, accepted our invitation to participate in this significant event.
The final recommendations will be approved by the State Duma Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitrary and Procedural Legislation and by the State Duma Committee on Health, and then submitted to the Presidential Administration and all relevant Federal Agencies.  The groundwork for the parliamentary hearing was laid on 28 September 2004 at a meeting held by Pyotr Shelisch, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitrary and Procedural Legislation, at the RF State Duma to discuss a proposal to establish a national program to protect the consumer market from counterfeit and fake goods. CIPR actively participated in this meeting and, shortly thereafter, organized a working meeting with rightsholders and IP associations to develop concrete and specific suggestions, which were included in the recommendations discussed at the State Duma’s parliamentary hearing.
 CIPR believes the united efforts of rightsholders, consumer groups, policymakers and law enforcement officials will continue to play an important role in developing effective IP legislation and enforcement in Russia. We would like to hear your views and invite our members, as well as our friends, to send comments and suggestions on the draft recommendations to
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The CIPR Russia team will continue to monitor this and other political and legislative developments in Russia related to intellectual property protection and enforcement matters, and update you as appropriate. |
