PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 54

1. Russia shall continue to improve the protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property rights in order to provide, by the end of the fifth year after the entry into force of the Agreement, for a level of protection similar to that existing in the Community, including effective means of enforcing such rights.

2. By the end of the fifth year following entry into force of the Agreement, Russia shall accede to the multilateral conventions on intellectual, industrial and commercial property rights to which Member States are parties or which are de facto applied by Member States, according to the relevant provisions contained in these conventions:

- Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Paris Act, 1971),

- International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (Rome, 1961),

- International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) (Geneva Act, 1978).

3. The Cooperation Council may recommend that paragraph 2 of this Annex shall apply to other multilateral conventions.

4. From the entry into force of this Agreement, Russia shall grant to Community companies and nationals, in respect of the recognition and protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property, treatment no less favourable than that granted by it to any third country under bilateral agreements.

5. The provisions of paragraph 4 shall not apply to advantages granted by Russia to any third country on an effective reciprocal basis and to advantages granted by Russia to another country of the former USSR.