Copyright Agency of the Reoublic of Azerbaijan

The Copyright Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the body of the central executive power that carries out the state policy in the field of copyrights, related rights, intellectual property rights on the expressions of Azerbaijan folklore, topography of integral schemes, data bases (hereinafter called as intellectual property rights) and provide the normative-legal regulation and development of this field as well as coordination of this field of activity. The Copyright Agency is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of activities related to protection of copyrights and intellectual property in Azerbaijan Republic.

The Agency is guided in its activity by the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, legislations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Decrees and Orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Decisions and Orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, also, it refers to international agreements and Statute on Agency that Azerbaijan Republic is party to.

History of The Copyright Agency

The Copyright Agency was established by the Presidential Decree on September 10, 1993. The main functions of the agency are creation of favorable legal conditions for potential people seeking to make contributions to scientific research in the country, literature and art; protection of copyright, related to the intellectual property and conducting state policy in field of the international cultural exchange; representation of Azerbaijan in international events, encouraging cooperation with similar agencies abroad; state registration of scientific, cultural and art works, etc.[5] Azerbaijan enacted Law on Copyright and Related Rights in 1996.

Azerbaijan is a member of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a party to the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and the Geneva Phonograms Convention.The agency was given the duty of protecting the folklore of Azerbaijan by President Ilham Aliyev.