Country Profile: Armenia

General Information
Armenia

Area:

  • total: 29,743 sq km
  • country comparison to the world: 142
  • land: 28,203 sq km
  • water: 1,540 sq km

Population:

  • 2,967,975 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure:

  • 0-14 years: 17.6% (male 279,304/female 242,621)
  • 15-64 years: 72.4% (male 1,006,312/female 1,141,430)
  • 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 112,947/female 185,361) (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

  • urban population: 64% of total population (2010)
  • rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Languages:

  • Armenian (official) 97.7%
  • Yezidi 1%
  • Russian 0.9%
  • other 0.4%

Laws

Constitution / Basic Law

The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, 5 July 1995 (2005)

Main IP Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

  • The Law of the Republic of Armenia on Geographical Indications (2010)
  • The law of the Republic of Armenia on trademarks (2010)
  • Law on Inventions, Utility Models and Industrial Designs, 10 June 2008 (2008)
  • Law on Copyright and Related Rights of June 15, 2006 (2006)
  • Law on Trade Names of November 23, 1999 (1999)
  • Law on the Legal Protection of Topographies of Integrated Circuits of February 3, 1998 (1998)
  • IP-related Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia (2010)

  • Law of the Republic of Armenia on Protection of Economic Competition, 6 November 2000, as consolidated 22 February 2007 (2007)
  • Republic of Armenia Criminal Code, Ch. 19 - Crimes Against Constitutional Human Rights and Freedoms of Citizens, Arts. 158 (Infringement of Copyright and Related Rights), 159 (Infringement of Patent Rights), 197 (Illegal Use of Trademark), 18 April 2003 (2003)
  • Customs Code of the Republic of Armenia, § 14 - Support of the Customs Authorities in Protection of IP Rights, Ch. 39 - Procedures of Protection of the IP Rights of the Persons, Arts. 227-33, January 1, 2001, amended to July 1, 2003 (2003)

Treaty Membership

WIPO-Administered Treaties

  • Hague Agreement (July 13, 2007)
  • Locarno Agreement (July 13, 2007)
  • Strasbourg Agreement (December 6, 2005)
  • Budapest Treaty (March 6, 2005)
  • Nice Agreement (March 6, 2005)
  • Vienna Agreement (March 6, 2005)
  • WIPO Copyright Treaty (March 6, 2005)
  • WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (March 6, 2005)
  • Phonograms Convention (January 31, 2003)
  • Rome Convention (January 31, 2003)
  • Berne Convention (October 19, 2000)
  • Madrid Protocol (October 19, 2000)
  • Brussels Convention (December 13, 1993)
  • WIPO Convention (April 22, 1993)
  • Madrid Agreement (Marks) (December 25, 1991)
  • Paris Convention (December 25, 1991)
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (December 25, 1991)

IP-related Multilateral Treaties

  • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Kiev Protocol to the Aarhus Convention
  • London Protocol to the Helsinki Water Convention
  • Protocol to the Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific or Cultural Materials (February 23, 2011)
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (October 22, 2010)
  • Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (August 23, 2010)
  • United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (January 1, 2010)
  • International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (June 18, 2007)
  • Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (May 27, 2007)
  • International Plant Protection Convention (June 9, 2006)
  • WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (February 27, 2005)
  • Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (February 16, 2005)
  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (July 29, 2004)
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (May 17, 2004)
  • Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) (February 5, 2003)
  • Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) (February 5, 2003)
  • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (January 8, 2003)
  • Aarhus Convention (October 30, 2001)
  • Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (August 16, 1994)
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (March 21, 1994)
  • International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (March 8, 1994)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (December 29, 1993)
  • First Protocol of 1949 Geneva Conventions (December 7, 1993)
  • First 1949 Geneva Convention (December 7, 1993)
  • Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention (December 7, 1993)
  • Second Protocol of 1949 Geneva Conventions (December 7, 1993)
  • Second 1949 Geneva Convention (December 7, 1993)
  • Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (September 23, 1991)

IP Regional Treaties

  • Agreement on Measures for the Prevention and Repression of the Use of False Trademarks and Geographical Indications (June 4, 1999)
  • Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPO) (February 27, 1996)

IP-relevant Bilateral Treaties

  • Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement between Armenia and Switzerland (January 1, 2000)
Source or Useful Links: 
CIA Factbook for Armenia
WIPO documents for Armenia
WIPO LEX Armenia
Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Armenia
  • Printer-friendly version
  • PDF version