The First Annual CIPR Conference:
Building Partnerships to Protect and Enforce Intellectual Property Rights

Moscow, Russia
26-28 June 2000

Who: Top international and regional government, judicial and business leaders dedicated to protecting intellectual property rights and fighting counterfeits in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Baltic Countries.  The Conference is sponsored by the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), a private-public partnership dedicated solely to advancing intellectual property rights protection and reform in the Baltic States, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.  Confirmed participants include senior decision-makers from eight of the region’s state patent and trademark offices, USPTO, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Customs Organization, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, Eurasian Patent Office, International Trademark Association, International Tax and Investment Center and, other leading business and professional organizations.

What: An exclusive, invitation-only Conference encouraging honest and open exchange of information, ideas and insights to advance intellectual property rights reform in the region.  Timely and informative panels featuring leading business, legal and government experts on the protection and enforcement of trademarks, patents and other industrial property.  Featured topics range from the fiscal implications of intellectual property rights to famous marks, the Internet and domain names, geographic indications, anti-counterfeiting and border enforcement, and legal and judicial reform.  Opening and closing receptions will provide informal opportunities for relationship building and information sharing.  A special dinner on Tuesday evening at the beautiful Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Atrium Hall will be a Conference highlight.

When: 26-28 June, 2000

Monday, 26 June — 6:00 PM — Opening Reception
Tuesday, 27 June — 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM — Conference Day 1
Tuesday, 27 June — 7:00 - 11:00 PM – Reception and Dinner at the Pushkin Museum
Wednesday, 28 June — 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM — Conference Day 2
Wednesday, 28 June — 6:30 - 8:30 PM — Closing Reception

Where: Marriott Grand Hotel

26 Tverskaya Street
Moscow, Russia
Tel:  (7-095) 937-0000
Fax:  (7-095) 937-0070 (Reservations Department)

Why: Government leaders, legislators, regulators, enforcement authorities and judicial officials throughout the CIS countries and Baltic States are working to improve their nations’ intellectual property protection systems to make them compliant with international standards and obligations—and to protect domestic and international IP owners. At the same time, the United States Trade Representative recently placed 12 of the 15 CIS and Baltic countries on its "Watch" lists for failing to adequately protect and enforce intellectual property rights.  And, the European Union continues to cite intellectual property infringements as a significant concern in many countries of the region.

IPR violations cost government and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars each year.  For example, a recent CIPR survey of major brand and trademark owners doing business in Russia found that at least one-half of the companies responding estimate that their losses due to IPR violations amount to at least US $1-million, and about one-third said their yearly losses due to IPR violations range between US $5-million and more than US $50-million.  For the region's governments, IPR violations result in millions of dollars of uncollected revenues from counterfeit products evading taxes and duties.  They also serve as barriers to new investments and efforts to join and/or comply with the World Trade Organization.

The First Annual CIPR Conference will foster dialogue, build alliances and promote common understanding among the most respected international and regional government and business leaders with the goal of advancing practical changes and improvements in IPR protection and enforcement in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Anna Voskhodova
CIPR Conference Administrator
The PBN Company
14 Krasina Street, Bldg. 2
Moscow, Russia  123056
(7-095) 745-8700 tel
(7-095) 745-8701 fax
anna.voskhodova@pbnco.com