On 7 May 2026, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed Law no. LRU-1144 introducing significant reforms to intellectual property regulations, concerning licencing rules, official patent fees and trade mark termination procedures. The Law enters into force on 8 August 2026.

Licensing agreements do not automatically constitute trade mark use

A key amendment concerns the definition of trade mark use, removing from Uzbekistan’s Civil Code the provision that previously allowed licensing agreements to automatically constitute "actual use" of a trade mark.

This amendment is of particular significance for brand owners, as under Uzbek law, a trade mark that has not been continuously used for three years without legitimate excuse may be subject to cancellation proceedings initiated by third parties. With the removal of the licencing provision, trade mark owners can no longer rely solely on licencing agreements to satisfy the use requirement - they must now demonstrate genuine commercial use of their marks in the marketplace.

Early termination of trade mark registrations

The legislative amendment introduces early termination of trade mark registrations. Under the updated rules, a trade mark may be terminated by court decision if the legal entity owning the mark is liquidated, or if the individual owner dies without legal or testamentary heirs, upon the request of a third party.

This amendment simplifies the procedural path, since previously early termination action could be brought either before the court or with the Board of Appeal under the Ministry of Justice, which created procedural uncertainty. Under the current framework, such appeals are to be filed directly with the court.

Amendments to official fees

The Law introduces significant updates to official fees for inventions, utility models, industrial designs, software, databases, and appeals filed before the Board of Appeal under the Ministry of Justice.

Official fees for deadline extensions to respond to Office Actions - primarily for patent, utility models, or industrial design applications are expected to be significantly reduced. The fees for appeals filed against decisions made during formal and substantive examinations are now harmonised, while previously appeals of formal examination decisions were subject to lower fees.

These reforms are particularly relevant for brand owners, technology companies, and foreign investors entering the Uzbek market, as they reflect Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to modernise its intellectual property framework and improve the effectiveness and accessibility of trade mark protection mechanisms.