Following the recent overhaul of Kazakhstan’s trademark registration rules, which we explored in our earlier article, it has become clear that trademarks were only one piece of a much broader reform agenda.

In parallel with those trademark changes, Kazakhstan has introduced important updates affecting industrial designs and copyright protection, aimed less at redefining substantive rights and more at modernizing how intellectual property is accessed, administered, and enforced.

These 2026 reforms focus on streamlining procedures, expanding digital infrastructure, and strengthening enforcement tools. These changes are particularly important in the context of a market where IP rights are increasingly created, exploited, and challenged across borders and online.

Industrial Designs in Kazakhstan: Easier Access to Regional Protection
A New Filing Route for Eurasian Industrial Designs

Effective January 2026, Kazakhstan has introduced an important procedural update for industrial design protection by opening a national filing route for Eurasian industrial design applications.

Previously, applicants seeking protection for industrial designs at the Eurasian level were required to file directly with the Eurasian Patent Office. This often involved additional procedural steps, coordination with foreign representatives, and increased administrative complexity, particularly for applicants accustomed to working primarily with the national IP office.

Under the new system, applicants filing via their personal account on Kazakhstan’s national electronic IP platform can now select “Industrial Design” as the IP object and choose between:

  • 1. filing a national industrial design application, or
  • 2. filing a Eurasian industrial design application through the national filing interface.

This change does not affect the substantive law governing Eurasian industrial designs or the territorial scope of protection. However, it significantly simplifies how applicants may initiate regional design protection.

Why This Matters in Practice

Although procedural in nature, the introduction of a national filing route for Eurasian industrial designs carries meaningful strategic implications for businesses operating in Kazakhstan and the wider Eurasian region.

Reduced Administrative Complexity

By allowing applicants to initiate Eurasian design filings through the national office, Kazakhstan reduces the procedural friction that traditionally accompanied regional filings. This is particularly beneficial for domestic applicants and international businesses with established national filing workflows in Kazakhstan.

Improved Accessibility to Regional Rights

A Eurasian industrial design provides protection across multiple member states under a single title. The new filing route lowers the threshold for accessing this form of protection, making it easier for businesses to incorporate regional coverage into their design strategies from an early stage.

Centralized Interaction at the Filing Stage

Applicants can now interact with the national IP office at the point of filing, while still benefiting from the broader geographic coverage offered by the Eurasian system. This can streamline internal processes and reduce the coordination burden between different authorities during the initial phase of protection.

National vs Eurasian Design Protection: Choosing the Right Path

The introduction of a dual filing option reinforces the importance of early strategic decision-making when it comes to industrial design protection.

National Protection

National protection may be appropriate where:

  • • commercial activity is limited to Kazakhstan, or
  • • the design has a narrow market scope or short commercial lifecycle.

Eurasian Protection

By contrast, Eurasian protection may be more suitable where:

  • • the design is expected to be commercialized across multiple Eurasian jurisdictions,
  • • the product has a longer lifecycle, or
  • • consistency of protection across markets is a priority.

While the new filing route makes regional protection easier to access, it does not eliminate the need for careful assessment of commercial objectives, enforcement plans, and cost considerations. Selecting the appropriate filing strategy at the outset remains critical.

Copyright and Related Rights in Kazakhstan: Digitalization and Enforcement Reform

Alongside procedural changes for industrial designs, Kazakhstan has implemented substantial reforms to its copyright and related rights framework, effective 25 January 2025, with practical implications continuing into 2026.

These amendments form part of a broader legislative package aimed at digitalizing rights administration, increasing transparency, and strengthening enforcement, particularly in response to the growing importance of digital content and online exploitation.

Unified Digital Platform for Collective Rights Management

One of the most significant developments is the introduction of a unified digital platform for the collective management of copyright and related rights.

The platform will be operated by a designated expert organization and is designed to serve as a single access point for all stakeholders involved in collective rights management.

It will maintain integrated registers covering:

  • • works protected by copyright;
  • • authors and rights holders;
  • • collective management organizations;
  • • users of copyrighted works; and
  • • licensing and other rights-related agreements.

Kazakhstan has already launched an online register containing information on copyright objects, which serves as the foundation for this unified system.

Practical Implications for Rights Holders

For authors and rights holders, the platform significantly improves transparency and traceability. By consolidating information into a single system, the platform makes it easier to verify ownership, monitor usage, and demonstrate rights in the context of licensing negotiations or enforcement actions.

From an enforcement perspective, clearer records and centralized documentation can strengthen evidentiary positions in disputes and reduce uncertainty around rights ownership and administration.

Digitalization as a Compliance Consideration

While increased transparency benefits rights holders, it also raises the importance of accurate registration and ongoing rights management.

Rights holders should ensure that:

  • 1. their works are properly recorded in relevant registers;
  • 2. ownership information is accurate and up to date; and
  • 3. licensing arrangements are clearly documented.

Failure to engage with the digital system proactively could weaken a rights holder’s ability to enforce or monetize their rights effectively under the new framework.

Accessibility Exception for Persons with Visual Impairments

The legislative amendments also introduce a new statutory accessibility exception in Kazakhstan’s copyright framework. Under this exception, certain published works may be used without the author’s prior consent and without payment of remuneration, where the use is specifically intended to enable access for persons with visual impairments.

This change reflects Kazakhstan’s efforts to align its copyright regime with international accessibility standards, ensuring that copyright law does not act as a barrier to access for individuals who require works to be made available in accessible formats. Notably nearly 13% of Kazakhstan’s population reported vision loss in 2020, and as of 2023, at least 2.2 billion people globally have some form of vision impairment

It is therefore evident that this new copyright exception does not exist in a vacuum, and is specifically designed to balance real world accessibility needs with the continued protection of authors’ rights.

YWhat This Means in Practice

In practice, the exception is narrowly framed and applies only in clearly defined accessibility-related contexts. It does not permit unrestricted use, distribution, or commercial exploitation of copyrighted works, nor does it diminish the underlying ownership of copyright.

For most rights holders, the immediate impact will therefore be limited. However, publishers, content owners, and rights holders operating in sectors where works are commonly adapted into accessible formats (such as education, publishing, and digital content) should be aware of how the exception operates and the specific circumstances in which use may be permitted. Understanding the scope of the exception helps ensure compliance while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on legitimate accessibility initiatives.

Strengthened IP Enforcement Through State Oversight

A further key reform is the explicit empowerment of justice authorities to conduct unscheduled inspections based on complaints submitted by authors and rights holders.

This development strengthens Kazakhstan’s enforcement toolkit and enables faster responses to alleged copyright infringements, particularly in digital and online environments where unauthorized use can escalate quickly.

Enforcement Risk and Opportunity

For rights holders, enhanced enforcement powers provide a more effective mechanism to address infringement. At the same time, users of copyrighted works (including businesses, platforms, and distributors) should be mindful that compliance failures may now attract closer scrutiny and more rapid intervention.

Strategic Implications Across the IP Portfolio

Taken together, the 2026 reforms affecting industrial designs and copyright reflect a broader shift in Kazakhstan’s IP policy towards simplified access to protection, greater digitalization of rights administration; and more active enforcement of IP rights.

These changes do not fundamentally alter the availability of protection, but they do raise expectations around planning, procedural accuracy, and proactive portfolio management.

Integrating These Changes Into Broader IP Strategy

For businesses operating in Kazakhstan or planning market entry, these reforms highlight the importance of treating IP rights as an interconnected portfolio rather than isolated assets.

Design protection, copyright management, and trademark strategy should be aligned to ensure:

  • • consistency of protection across products and content;
  • • efficient use of regional and national filing routes; and
  • • readiness to enforce rights under evolving procedural frameworks.

Misunderstanding the scope or application of new procedures, particularly where national and regional systems intersect, can lead to missed opportunities, unnecessary costs, or weakened enforcement positions.

Understanding Kazakhstan’s Evolving IP Landscape

Kazakhstan’s recent IP reforms reflect a maturing and increasingly sophisticated legal environment for intellectual property. While the reforms offer clearer pathways and improved tools for rights holders, they also require careful interpretation and informed decision-making.
Professional guidance remains essential to ensure that filing strategies, rights administration, and enforcement approaches are properly aligned with both legal requirements and commercial objectives.

MSA IP: Full Spectrum IP Guidance in Kazakhstan and Beyond

Protecting intellectual property in evolving markets like Kazakhstan requires more than isolated filings or one-size-fits-all approaches. MSA IP’s multidisciplinary team supports businesses with strategic, commercially focused guidance across the full spectrum of IP rights, including industrial designs and copyright, helping clients navigate procedural reforms with confidence.

Whether you are evaluating national versus regional design protection, adapting to new copyright administration and enforcement mechanisms, or reassessing your trademark portfolio strategy, our team can help you make informed, forward-looking decisions. Contact MSA IP to discuss how Kazakhstan’s 2026 IP reforms may affect your business and to ensure your IP strategy remains aligned with the evolving regulatory landscape.