MINSK, 5 March (BelTA) - Vitaly Vabishchevich, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI) talked to the media ahead of the international conference “Protection of national brands: from trademark registration and countering unfair practices to cybersecurity”, BelTA has learned.
“We all perfectly understand the role of exports in the country. Everyone knows that our economy is industry-based and that we many manufacturing enterprises in practically all branches of the manufacturing sector. The BelCCI is authorized by law to protect the interests of enterprises in foreign markets. There is a separate article in the law 'On the Chamber of Commerce and Industry' dedicated to intellectual property objects. The Chamber has a special organization that deals with and assists enterprises in protecting their trademarks and patents in foreign markets. Therefore, this is our direct, immediate task, and this forum is one of the tools. Today, based on international practice and statistics, the commercialization of intellectual property objects and the registration of patents is racing upwards; the statistics are growing. We understand that this is due to the emergence of new products and technologies. And without brand protection, one can very seriously face penalties and losses in foreign markets. That is, the protection of national brands is not only about increasing the value of our products, but it is also about protection against unfair competition,” Vitaly Vabishchevich said.
In addition, he spoke about the topics that would be addressed at the event. “It will run three sections, each of which essentially reflects the challenges that exist. We will look at the place of Belarusian enterprises in the international system, how our closest partners and counterparties are developing in this regard, and how China is moving forward. We will communicate openly and frankly to find out what is currently hindering the development: ranging from organizational and technical matters to the availability of human resources and financing. That is the first part. The second is internet trade, electronic trading platforms, and this is a new challenge. There is a great deal of counterfeit products. Belarusian products, I tell you, are very often counterfeited. So there are many issues. And how should enterprises act in this case, especially in foreign markets? The third point relates to the protection of intellectual property objects. This also includes unfair competition. We have a separate section on cyber protection. This is the protection of our information. Unfortunately, there are many examples where criminals steal commercial information from our enterprises and then use it in dealings with foreign counterparties, and these threats must be addressed,” he noted.
Aleksei Kurman, Director General of the National Center of Intellectual Property, noted that Belarus has an export-oriented economy. “The main challenge is the development of new markets for our exporting enterprises. Thus we need to ensure the protection of both their intellectual property objects and, naturally, the products that they supply. Therefore, the main task facing the National Center of Intellectual Property and the State Committee on Science and Technology is to provide the infrastructure that will assist our enterprises in the protection of their products in traditional markets and in new markets, especially the countries of Africa and Southeast Asia. To this end, a three-tiered system for the protection of intellectual property objects is being formed in our country - at the national, regional levels, and, of course, the international level, which includes a system for the registration and protection of intellectual property,” he said.
“We all know that there is fierce competition in the world, a struggle for every customer, and it is intellectual property that is becoming a key tool in the protection of our brands and products. After all, 'Made in Belarus' is already a brand, and it is important to confirm and protect it. We all know that our manufacturers face the problem of counterfeit and falsified products. It is intellectual property that helps them clear the market of non-original goods," Aleksei Kurman emphasized.
“We all perfectly understand the role of exports in the country. Everyone knows that our economy is industry-based and that we many manufacturing enterprises in practically all branches of the manufacturing sector. The BelCCI is authorized by law to protect the interests of enterprises in foreign markets. There is a separate article in the law 'On the Chamber of Commerce and Industry' dedicated to intellectual property objects. The Chamber has a special organization that deals with and assists enterprises in protecting their trademarks and patents in foreign markets. Therefore, this is our direct, immediate task, and this forum is one of the tools. Today, based on international practice and statistics, the commercialization of intellectual property objects and the registration of patents is racing upwards; the statistics are growing. We understand that this is due to the emergence of new products and technologies. And without brand protection, one can very seriously face penalties and losses in foreign markets. That is, the protection of national brands is not only about increasing the value of our products, but it is also about protection against unfair competition,” Vitaly Vabishchevich said.
In addition, he spoke about the topics that would be addressed at the event. “It will run three sections, each of which essentially reflects the challenges that exist. We will look at the place of Belarusian enterprises in the international system, how our closest partners and counterparties are developing in this regard, and how China is moving forward. We will communicate openly and frankly to find out what is currently hindering the development: ranging from organizational and technical matters to the availability of human resources and financing. That is the first part. The second is internet trade, electronic trading platforms, and this is a new challenge. There is a great deal of counterfeit products. Belarusian products, I tell you, are very often counterfeited. So there are many issues. And how should enterprises act in this case, especially in foreign markets? The third point relates to the protection of intellectual property objects. This also includes unfair competition. We have a separate section on cyber protection. This is the protection of our information. Unfortunately, there are many examples where criminals steal commercial information from our enterprises and then use it in dealings with foreign counterparties, and these threats must be addressed,” he noted.
Aleksei Kurman, Director General of the National Center of Intellectual Property, noted that Belarus has an export-oriented economy. “The main challenge is the development of new markets for our exporting enterprises. Thus we need to ensure the protection of both their intellectual property objects and, naturally, the products that they supply. Therefore, the main task facing the National Center of Intellectual Property and the State Committee on Science and Technology is to provide the infrastructure that will assist our enterprises in the protection of their products in traditional markets and in new markets, especially the countries of Africa and Southeast Asia. To this end, a three-tiered system for the protection of intellectual property objects is being formed in our country - at the national, regional levels, and, of course, the international level, which includes a system for the registration and protection of intellectual property,” he said.
“We all know that there is fierce competition in the world, a struggle for every customer, and it is intellectual property that is becoming a key tool in the protection of our brands and products. After all, 'Made in Belarus' is already a brand, and it is important to confirm and protect it. We all know that our manufacturers face the problem of counterfeit and falsified products. It is intellectual property that helps them clear the market of non-original goods," Aleksei Kurman emphasized.
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