The two-day training was organized by the Copyright Division of the Ministry of Culture within the framework of the Tajik-Swiss Intellectual Property Project (TSIP). It brought together local authorities, law enforcement workers, judges, authors, media companies, publishing houses, hardware and software developers and distributors.

In Tajikistan, there is a strong need for public awareness of copyright and neighboring rights so that professionals gain the correct benefits and acknowledgement from their work. The aim of the event was to enhance participants’ knowledge on national and international copyright and neighboring rights legislation, and to share experiences on methods of protecting authors’ rights against piracy.

During the training participants learnt about the rights that are attached to the products developed by artists and companies. Copyright covers areas such as literature, music, photography, sculptures, films, operas, ballets, pantomimes, and computer programmes. Neighboring rights cover the performances of musicians and actors, the right of producers to their products such as CDs and DVDs, and radio and television broadcasts.

In 2015, the Copyright Division of the Ministry of Culture will also deliver this training in Sughd and Pamirs in order to share this crucial information across the country.

The Tajik-Swiss Intellectual Property Project is a three-year project funded by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by IPI since 2013. It aims to strengthen the Tajik intellectual property rights system in order to lead to higher competitiveness, more value added to Tajik products, and a positive impact on Tajikistan’s social and economic development following the country’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization.