Intellectual property rights enforcement is weak in Azerbaijan.  Although Azerbaijani law protects copyrights, patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, U.S. and multinational companies report significant problems with counterfeit goods.  Piracy and blatant IPR infringements, involving the use of unlicensed software by both the private and public sectors and fake international computer shops, are commonplace. 

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles to effectively protect their intellectual property. For background, visit Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.

For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov. 

More detailed information on IP issues in Azerbaijan is provided in the Investment Climate Statement.