Foreign investors have reported that there is a lack of transparency in bureaucratic procedures for public procurement.

Uzbekistan is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). In fact, the country is not a member of the WTO.

Foreign operators are reportedly not permitted to own or operate an international gateway. Therefore, ownership and operation of international gateways are monopolised by Uzbektelecom, a state-controlled entity.

Art. 46 of Law No. LRU-598 stipulates that legislation may impose restrictions or prohibitions on foreign investment in specific areas of the economy to safeguard public health, flora and fauna, the environment, and national security interests. Reports indicate that the government may conduct screening of foreign investments, particularly in strategic sectors such as telecommunications; however, the screening process lacks transparency.

According to Art. 6 of Decree No. 5495, the minimum size of the authorised capital of companies with foreign investment is UZS 400 million (approx. 33.000 USD), while it was previously UZS 600 million (approx. 48.500 USD).

In accordance with Art. 35 of the Law No. 397-II, natural persons permanently residing outside the Republic of Uzbekistan or foreign legal entities can only apply for patents of industrial property objects through patent attorneys registered with the Agency for Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Also, it is reported that an application should be filed in Uzbek or Russian language. If the application is filed in any other foreign language, the translation into Uzbek or Russian thereof should be provided within two months from the date of filing.

In accordance with Art. 35 of Law No. 397-II, natural persons permanently residing outside the Republic of Uzbekistan or foreign legal entities shall perform legally significant actions in connection with patents through patent attorneys registered with the Agency for Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Moreover, it is reported that while Uzbekistan’s legal framework for patent protection is generally sufficient, enforcement remains one of the biggest challenges.

Uzbekistan is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). However, the country does not consider itself bound by Art. 59 related to disputes. It should be noted that this treaty was signed in 1970 when Uzbekistan was still part of the Soviet Union. Upon gaining independence, Uzbekistan issued a declaration of continued application, with the date of entry into force set as December 1991, corresponding to the country's independence.

Uzbekistan has a copyright regime under the Act No. LRU-42. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. The exceptions are listed in Arts. 25-33 and include the reproduction of works for personal use, the free use of works indicating the name of the author, the use of works by reprographic reproduction, the free use of works permanently located in places open to the public, free public performance of works, the use of works for the purposes of pre-investigation checks, preliminary inquiries, preliminary investigations, administrative and judicial proceedings, free short-term recording produced by broadcasting organisations, free reproduction and adaptation of computer software or databases.

It is reported that, despite the country continuing to improve its copyright legal framework, there is a lack of effective and transparent procedures to avoid piracy in relation to the use of software by the government.

Uzbekistan has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty in July 2019.

Uzbekistan has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty in July 2019.

It is reported that self-declaration of conformity (SDoC) is not allowed for foreign companies for any radio transmitting devices, such as cellular exchanges, radio alarm devices, wireless remote controls, wireless microphones, cellular phones, cordless phones, radio communications transceiver equipment, wireless network cards, wifi/bluetooth transmitter devices, drone transceivers, among others. The approvals in Uruguay are regulated by the Regulatory Unit of Communications Service (URSEC). The approvals, once obtained, are valid for 15 years. Typically, approvals can be obtained in less than 10 weeks without the need for in-country testing.

Decree No. 356/014 sets some rules regarding the de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties. According to Arts. 3-4 of the Decree, the de minimis threshold applied to purchases by non-express mail is equal to USD 50, while for purchases by express mail, it is equal to USD 200. Moreover, the de minimis applies under certain conditions: only up to 3 purchases per year, for non-commercial purposes, by a natural person of legal age with a valid Uruguayan identity card, and when the gross weight of the items does not exceed 20 kilograms.