“Today's seminar is meant to remind us of the importance of ensuring legal protection of intellectual property objects as Belarusian products are exported to foreign markets. For the second time the seminar has brought together manufacturers, academia and research communities, patent attorneys, employees of national patent offices, various specialized non-governmental associations and regional associations. Today we have an audience of about 200 people, which speaks of the  importance of the event and is a good example of public-private partnership in the innovative development of the economy, protection and enforcement of exporters' rights to intellectual property objects,” Denis Korzhitsky said.

Export promotion is important for the economy of any state. A reliable system of foreign trade relations ensures GDP growth and inflow of foreign currency earnings into the country. “In 2024, Belarus’ exports rose by 1.2% year-on-year. This indicates the demand for Belarusian products abroad.  Belarusian products have established the name for themselves in many regions of the world. ‘Made in Belarus’ is already a brand and we must protect its reputation. The main tool we can use is the institute of intellectual property,” Denis Korzhitsky noted.

He noted that counterfeiting of popular Belarusian products in foreign markets is not uncommon. Chocolate products are often counterfeit in China, dairy products – in the Russian market. “There is also positive experience. Exporters make use of all available tools for protection of intellectual property objects. Today, protection of rights abroad is one of the most important tasks for enterprises as they promote export. In this regard, exporters should actively use available mechanisms of protection and be ready for challenges related to infringement of rights,” Denis Korzhitsky emphasized.

Aleksei Kurman, First Deputy Director General of the National Center for Intellectual Property, emphasized that building up knowledge-intensive high-tech exports is possible only on the basis of their high competitiveness and reliable legal protection in all potential markets. “While make a decision to bring a product to foreign markets a manufacturer must assess the technical level of development and check its patent purity, i.e. the presence of external threats associated with the presence of competitors' protection documents, which can block the entry of products to a market. Legal protection of exports on the basis of patent law is carried out through international, regional and national procedures,” he added.

According to him, in 2024 national applicants submitted 40% more international applications for invention patents than in 2023. Under the regional industrial design registration procedure, national applicants filed 26.9% more applications in 2024 over 2023. “However, obtaining legal protection in foreign countries is often a difficult and costly procedure for business. In this regard, some business entities sell their products at their own risk, without providing them with legal protection, which increases the likelihood of the appearance of counterfeit products and unfair competition.  There are enough examples, and not only with regard to Belarusian entities. Doing business in foreign markets is inextricably linked to the need to ensure legal protection of intellectual property objects,” he added.
The seminar was organized by the Belarusian State Committee for Science and Technology and the National Center for Intellectual Property with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization.