Azerbaijan steps up combat against counterfeit goods
By Sabina Idayatova
Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers has approved the rules of halting the movement across the customs border of goods containing units of intellectual property.
According to the updated rules, if during the customs clearance and inspection signs of pirated or counterfeit origin of goods containing intellectual property are detected, the head of the customs authority or his deputy decide to suspend the passage of such goods through the border for a period of 10 working days.
Upon a reasonable request of the applicant, this period may be extended for another 10 working days, according to the regulations.
In case of halting the passage of goods across the border, extension of the suspension term or reversal of a previous decision, relevant authorities should immediately send a written notification both to the applicant and the declarant.
Register of the goods containing intellectual property is maintained by the State Customs Committee.
If a rightholder or a person representing his interests (the applicant) has a reasonable basis to believe that during the movement of goods containing units of intellectual property through the customs border, his or her copyright was violated or perhaps a violation could have occured, he or she is entitled to apply to the State Customs Committee with a request to suspend the passage of counterfeit goods, ensure the protection of intellectual property rights and inclusion of the goods in question in the mentioned register.