Trademark Coexistence Agreements in Uzbekistan: Legal Gaps and Prospects for Private-Law Regulation
Abstract
Trademark coexistence agreements provide a contractual mechanism for managing conflicts between owners or users of identical or confusingly similar trademarks without necessarily transferring the exclusive right or creating a conventional licence. In Uzbekistan, the legislation permits the role of the earlier right holder's consent in situations involving identical or similar signs, yet it does not establish a separate and comprehensive contractual regime for coexistence. This article examines the legal nature of trademark coexistence agreements, the regulatory gap in Uzbek private law, and the practical issues that arise when independent businesses seek to use similar signs in commercial circulation. It distinguishes coexistence agreements from trademark licensing, assignment and collective marks, and analyses comparative approaches reflected in United States judicial practice and the United Kingdom Trade Marks Act 1994. Particular attention is paid to consumer confusion, public interest, limits on subsequent licensing or transfer, territorial and product-market boundaries, and the consequences of breach. The article argues that Uzbekistan should recognize trademark coexistence as a distinct contractual model and should regulate its form and legal effects in the Civil Code. The proposed approach is based on written consent, defined boundaries of use, registration of the agreement, restrictions on unauthorized transfer to third parties, and preservation of safeguards against consumer confusion.
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References
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