Tokayev signs new law on intellectual property reforms

Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a law introducing amendments to Kazakhstan’s legislation on intellectual property, according to Akorda.

The document is aimed at strengthening IP protection and brings several key updates, including:

• Access to published works for visually impaired individuals without requiring permission from authors or payment of remuneration. This applies to public performance, distribution and making works publicly available.
• Accelerated trademark registration. While the current procedure takes around seven months, the law introduces a paid option allowing owners to fast-track registration to three months, helping businesses bring products to market faster.
• Extended period for filing objections against a trademark application. The deadline increases from one month to two.
• State control over the use of copyrighted works, enabling the Justice Ministry to conduct unscheduled inspections based on requests from authors and rights holders.
• A unified digital platform for collective rights management.

The full text of the law will be published in official print outlets.