In the Republic of Azerbaijan, protecting intellectual property rights to artistic, scientific, and intellectual creative works is a significant factor that stimulates cultural and artistic development, encourages creative individuals, and supports their material and moral well-being as well as their social welfare.
During the Soviet period, since all forms of intellectual property and their results were under the state’s monopoly, intellectual property law did not exist as a separate legal field or as a system of legal relations. In the modern world, because intellectual property is an important economic, cultural, and moral factor, there has emerged a need to regulate existing relations properly and fairly in order to create intellectual property products and bring them to market. The establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization and the adoption of the “Stockholm Convention” elevated this issue to the level of internationally protected rights.
Unfortunately, the intellectual elite that shapes the cultural, scientific, and artistic identity of the Azerbaijani state and people often does not know the mechanisms for protecting, realizing, and commercializing these rights, and therefore does not benefit from such opportunities. If creative intellectuals understand their intellectual property rights, use intellectual property effectively, and adapt their creative potential to market realities, this could provide a strong impetus for the development of our culture, art, literature, and science.
With the aim of explaining the essence of intellectual property rights among creative intellectuals and teaching the mechanisms of their protection, the Public Union “Legal Research Center” has begun implementing the project “Raising Awareness Among Intellectual Property Rights Holders” within the framework of the special grant competition for NGOs on Cultural and Creative Industries organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the creative potential of scholars, creative intellectuals, cultural and artistic figures, and other intellectual property holders by informing them about intellectual property rights enshrined in the Constitution; to support their material and moral well-being; and to direct the products of intellectual creativity toward improving living standards and advancing cultural development.
Within the project, it is planned to conduct trainings for scientists of higher education institutions, cultural workers, creative intellectuals, and creative youth on the topic: “What is intellectual property law and how should it be protected?” The first such training was held on November 27 at Mingachevir State University (MSU). The training was attended by MSU scholars, creative intellectuals living in Mingachevir, and representatives of local media.
The event was opened with introductory remarks by Natavan Namazova, Vice-Rector of MSU for Science and Innovation.
After that, Bakhshiyish Asgarov, Head of the Public Union “Legal Research Center” and PhD in Law, provided information about the organization’s activities and the essence of the project. He noted the Ministry of Culture’s highly sensitive approach to projects in the field of intellectual property rights, and emphasized that within the project close cooperation is carried out with the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Writers’ Union, the Composers’ Union, and other institutions. He also highlighted that the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan provides strong organizational and methodological support in the implementation of the project.
The trainers—lawyer Aydin Karimov and well-known intellectual property expert Natiq Isayev—explained, in an interactive format using practical examples and case studies, the international and national protection mechanisms of intellectual property rights set out in Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ways to protect copyright, and issues related to the commercialization of scientific research works.
The specialists also provided extensive information on scientific research challenges in higher education institutions, intellectual property and related rights in practice, patents, trademarks, and plagiarism.
During the training, participants asked many interesting questions to the trainers. Natavan Namazova (Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at MSU), Mammad Marzili (member of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union), Sabuhi Gahramanov (Associate Professor at MSU), Vusala Mustafayeva (Senior Lecturer), Leyla Babayeva (Lecturer), and Polad Atayev (MSU legal counsel) shared their experiences and proposals regarding expanding opportunities for creative and research professionals, issuing state-commissioned research projects, protecting copyrights, and related matters.
At the end of the event, project leader Bakhshiyish Asgarov summarized the proposals and opinions, expressed gratitude to the participants for their active involvement and constructive contributions, and thanked the MSU leadership for the conditions created to ensure the training was held at a high level. He also donated numerous books prepared by the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the MSU library.