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Unofficial Translation

RIA Novosti
November 30, 2001

Amendments proposed to the State Duma, which strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, are meant to bring Russian legislation into compliance with international standards

By Marina Gradova

Rospatent Deputy General Director, Nikolay Bogdanov, told journalists on Friday that amendments proposed to the State Duma, which strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, are meant to bring Russian legislation into compliance with international standards.

According to RIA Novosti's correspondent, Bogdanov emphasized that amendments proposed to the State Duma by Rospatent and the State Customs Committee do not change the concept of current laws, specifically, the Law "On Trademarks" and the Patent Law.

The Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights has also prepared modifications and additions to the current legislative acts, which stipulate the enhancement of intellectual property protection and the fight against counterfeit products.

Specifically, Evgene Arievich, a legal adviser for the Coalition, says that tougher punishments for infringement of intellectual property rights are provided for under the proposed amendments. In addition to reimbursement of losses to the trademark owners, violators would return all profits yielded as a result of unfair use of a trademark, as well as pay fines that could range from 1 to 50,000 minimum salaries. Counterfeit products would also be subject to confiscation and destruction at the expense of the violator or will be transferred to the real owner of a trademark.

Arievich believes that these modifications do not contradict the amendments that have been already submitted to the State Duma.