Kyrgyzstan Trademark Information

Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the six independent Turkic states together with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and People's Republic of China to the east. The population is estimated at 5,482,000 with a GDP of $12.10 billion.

A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV. Over the next few years, the new president manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for himself. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, nationwide protests led to the resignation and expulsion of BAKIEV. He was replaced by Acting President Roza OTUNBAYEVA who called for new elections in six months time. Continuing concerns include: endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, and terrorism.

Trademarks are assigned through the State Intellectual Property Service of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent). Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Madrid Protocol. A trademark is valid for 10 years and may be renewed for further periods of 10 years each.