for displaced Syrian entrepreneurs and fledging business enterprises in Armenia
Մտավոր սեփականության պաշտպանություն
UNHCR YEREVAN. On 25 May 2016, in the frame of World Intellectual Property Day marked on 26 April each year, Ms. Marine Fidanyan, an expert on Intellectual Property Rights, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia and its partner NGO, Armenian Red Cross Society, offered her in-kind support: training on the protection of IP rights of refugees to a group of displaced Syrian entrepreneurs which took place at the office of UNHCR’s operational partner, ‘’Aleppo’’ Compatriotic Charitable NGO.
A month prior to this training, on World Intellectual Property Day, a presentation on IP Rights was conducted by Ms. Marine Fidanyan at UN House. The audience comprised UNHCR and its partners, e.g. ARCS, GIZ, KASA Swiss Humanitarian Foundation, Mission Armenia, Save the Children International, Armenian Caritas, OXFAM and other NGO-s engaged in realisation of projects on livelihoods, start-up businesses development and vocational education organised for displaced Syrians who plan to or already do business in Armenia.
The Syrian businessmen, who were at some extent aware of their IP Rights back in Syria, expressed that they, however, had little awareness on this aspect vis-à-vis the local context. They shared the concerns and challenges they often faced in entrepreneurship, including, in the sphere of protection of IP Rights, and confessed that the business environment and related legislation in Armenia was rather complex and difficult to navigate through.
The participants, therefore, highly appreciated the opportunity for such a training the format of which was open and interactive. It comprised power-point presentation, illustrations and various exemplars, followed by a Question & Answer session and active discussion. The key objectives of the training was (i) to raise the awareness of the participants on the essence of intellectual property rights; (ii) to educate them on how to protect IP rights; (iii) to explain the importance of respecting IP Rights of others, local or displaced, entrepreneurs doing business in Armenia; (iv) to help the audience understand the consequences of the IP rights violations, and (v) to understand the importance and benefit of protection of Intellectual Property Rights with regard to their own business in Armenia; (vi) to listen to the stories of the participants describing their personal business experience, and the challenges and successes they had gone through.
Among relevant IP Rights related aspects elaborated through the presentation, Ms. Marine Fidanyan talked about the importance of: (I) registration of IP rights for businesses, copyright automatic protection, as well as, different terms of IP rights protection; (ii) creation of a logo, and absolute grounds for refusal of Trademark registration; (iii) particular way of packing of products in order for an easy identification of the producer and products by potential clients; (iv) printing of visiting cards and leaflets to promote their products; (v) creativity and innovation in new businesses; (vi) starting production, and maintaining it by preserving the traditional peculiarities and diversity they brought with them from Syria to Armenia.
With regard to the last point, the asset of Syrian businesses in Armenia in the past years, Ms. Marine Fidanyan said to the participants: “I state with confidence – and I am sure that your clients and local businessmen will agree with me – that you have added a refined taste and flavor in the business environment of Armenia’’. ‘’You, Syrian businessmen, have brightened our life and enriched it with your talents and innovation‘’, Ms. Fidanyan added.
‘’I am not afraid to say that you have, indeed, contributed to the economic development in the country’’, Ms. Hasmik Khachatryan, Project Coordinator at Armenian Red Cross Society added.
‘’It is rewarding for us to be able to benefit from you who despite all odds, the displacement related hardships you had to go through, do very good business in Armenia’’, Ms. Fidanyan said on her turn. ‘’Protect your IP Rights and enhance your knowledge in the business development area to achieve progress and prosperity of your businesses. I wish you all the success in business and personal life you lead in Armenia”, Ms. Fidanyan reiterated at her concluding remarks.
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