In 2024, 447 trademark-related lawsuits were filed in civil courts in Kazakhstan, which is a record number in the last 10 years and almost 4 times more than in 2023.
Such a sharp increase can be considered anomalous since previously the dynamics remained relatively stable. The only exception was in 2016, when the number of lawsuits tripled, but even then the figure was only 36 cases.
Against the background of the total number of registered trademarks in the country — 67.4 thousand — the current level of lawsuits remains low. By law, the protection of trademark rights begins with the filing of a complaint with the Appeals Board of the Ministry of Justice, and only 22% of unappealed decisions reach the court. Based on this, the total number of complaints in 2024 can be estimated at approximately two thousand.
Also, in addition to civil law, administrative and criminal liability is provided for violation of rights to intellectual property objects.
Under Article 158 of the Administrative Code (illegal use of another’s trademark), the number of registered offenses increased by 3.4 times, to 297 cases.
However under Articles 198 and 222 of the Criminal Code (violation of rights to inventions, trademarks, etc.), the registration of offenses remained at the previous minimum level.
The number of claims for copyright protection increased by 32% compared to 2023 (343 cases), and the number of claims regarding other intellectual property objects increased by 220%, reaching 215 cases.