CLDP, in coordination with Kyrgyzpatent and the State Customs Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, held a two day workshop on the Border Enforcement of IP Rights in the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop investigated the impact of counterfeiting and piracy in Kyrgyzstan and the region, the role of the private sector in the interdiction of counterfeits, the utility of risk analysis and targeting, and the benefits of interagency and interregional coordination.  Examples of US and European best practices were provided.

Advisors to the program included representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Participants also heard from a variety of rightsholders, including representatives from Beiersdorf, Pfizer, Unilever, and Nike. The goals of this workshop were to increase the skill and knowledge level of customs and IP officials to identify counterfeit and pirated goods, as well as to strengthen a more effective and efficient coordination of effort in the interdiction of those goods in the Kyrgyz Republic.