Country Profile: Kazakhstan

General Information
Kazakhstan

Area:

  • total: 2,724,900 sq km
  • country comparison to the world: 9
  • land: 2,699,700 sq km
  • water: 25,200 sq km

Population:

  • 15,522,373 (July 2011 est.)
  • country comparison to the world: 64

Age structure:

  • 0-14 years: 21.6% (male 1,709,929/female 1,637,132)
  • 15-64 years: 71% (male 5,373,755/female 5,654,461)
  • 65 years and over: 7.4% (male 392,689/female 754,407) (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

  • urban population: 59% of total population (2010)
  • rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Languages:

  • Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%
  • Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95%

Laws

Main IP Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

  • Law on Introducing Amendments and Addenda to some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on issues of Intellectual Property (2009)
  • Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Trademarks, Service Marks and Appellations of Origin (2007)
  • Patent Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2007)
  • The Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Special Part), Chapter 5 (1999)
  • Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (1996)

IP-related Laws (enacted by the Legislature)

  • Customs Code of The Republic of Kazakhstan (2010)
  • Republic of Kazakhstan Law On Electronic Document and Digital Signature (2003)
  • Law on Competition and Restriction of Monopoly Activities (2001)
  • Law on Conservation, Reproduction and Use of Wildlife (1999)
  • Law On Unfair Competition (1998)
  • The Criminal Code of The Republic of Kazakhstan (1997)

IP Laws (issued by the Executive)

  • The Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The General Part (2010)

Implementing Rules/Regulations

  • Request for extension of action of the invention patent (Form 9 )

Treaty Membership

WIPO-Administered Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol (March 9, 2011)
  • Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (December 8, 2010)
  • WIPO Copyright Treaty (November 12, 2004)
  • WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (November 12, 2004)
  • Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification (January 24, 2003)
  • Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs (November 7, 2002)
  • Trademark Law Treaty (November 7, 2002)
  • Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Micro-organisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (April 24, 2002)
  • Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (April 24, 2002)
  • Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (August 3, 2001)
  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (April 12, 1999)
  • Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (December 25, 1991)
  • Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (December 25, 1991)
  • Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (December 25, 1991)
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (December 25, 1991)

IP-related Multilateral Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • International Plant Protection Convention (September 13, 2010)
  • Protocol (III) additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the adoption of an additional distinctive emblem (December 24, 2009)
  • Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (September 17, 2009)
  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (December 7, 2008)
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (February 7, 2008)
  • Convention on Transit Trade of Land-locked States (December 1, 2007)
  • WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (April 22, 2007)
  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (April 24, 2006)
  • International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (April 25, 2005)
  • Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (October 30, 2001)
  • Helsinki Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (April 11, 2001)
  • Protocol to the Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific or Cultural Materials (June 21, 1999)
  • Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (December 21, 1998)
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (August 15, 1995)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (December 5, 1994)
  • Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (July 29, 1994)
  • Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. (December 21, 1991)
  • Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. (December 21, 1991)
  • Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. (December 21, 1991)
  • Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. (December 21, 1991)
  • Protocol (II) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. (December 21, 1991)
  • Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (December 16, 1991)
  • Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (December 16, 1991)
  • Universal Copyright Convention of 6 September 1952, with Appendix Declaration relating to Article XVII and Resolution concerning Article XI (December 16, 1991)

IP Regional Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)

  • Agreement on mutual preservation of inter-state secrets in the area of legal protection of Inventions (January 31, 2000)
  • Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - Agreement on Measures for the Prevention and Repression of the Use of False Trademarks and Geographical Indications (of June 4, 1999) (June 4, 1999)
  • Agreement on Cooperation in the Repression of Offenses in the Field of Intellectual Property (January 19, 1999)
  • Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPO) (November 4, 1995)
  • Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Protection of Copyright and Neighboring Rights (May 6, 1995)
  • Agreement concerning the Measures of Protection of Industrial Property and Establishing the Interstate Council for the Industrial Property (March 12, 1993)
  • IP-relevant Bilateral Treaties (Entry into force of treaty for contracting party)
  • Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of human Intellectual Property (March 20, 2006)
  • Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement between Switzerland and Kazakhstan (July 1, 1997)
  • Agreement between Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of Industrial Property protection (June 2, 1997)
  • Agreement between Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Government of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in the field of Industrial Property protection (December 24, 1996)