World customs organization (WCO) will help Armenia thwart imports of fake products

YEREVAN, October 23, /ARKA/. The World Customs Organization (WCO) will help Armenia thwart imports of fake products, WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriyaс, said today in the Armenian capital.

“Fake trademarks is a serous problem. In this sense the main focus of our work should on protection of consumers from threats to their health and safety. This is why the WCO helps customs services of member countries to improve their relating legislation and strengthen their capacities to foil import of fake goods,’ he said during a joint news conference with chairman of Armenian State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatrian.

He said all of this will not only protect consumers’ interests but in the long run also the interests of manufacturers and the economy in general.

Gagik Khachatrian said for his part that the Armenian government approved yesterday a bill on making changes to the Law on Trademarks and to the Law on Geographic Marks, designed to raise the level of defense of intellectual property. He said the changes will rule out repetition of trademarks or their semblance to the degree of confusion.

The government-designed bill proposes to extend the trademark registration period for two months. Under the current law the process ends with official registration of a trademark. Under the bill, after registration of a trademark, the Armenian Agency for Protection of Intellectual Property will have to publicize information about the newly registered trademark within two months. -0-