Article 27.2 of the Law on Patents stipulates that foreign legal and natural persons shall file their applications with the authority designated by the relevant executive body exclusively through patent attorneys registered with that authority, unless otherwise provided for in international treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party.

Art. 27.7 of the Law on Patents stipulates that applications for a patent must be prepared in the Azerbaijani language. Other components of the application file may be submitted either in Azerbaijani or in another language. Where any part of the application file is submitted in a language other than Azerbaijani, a translation into Azerbaijani must be provided within two months from the date of filing. All correspondence relating to the application shall be conducted in Azerbaijani.
Section 1.18 of the “Requirements relating to the patent application claims document” stipulates that the claims and abstract of an invention or utility model must be prepared in both Azerbaijani and Russian.

Art. 18 of the Law on Patents stipulates that, in order to safeguard national security interests, the competent executive authority may authorise the use of a patent relating to an invention, utility model, or industrial design without the consent of the patent holder. In such circumstances, the patent holder is entitled to receive appropriate compensation. Should the patent holder dispute the amount of compensation awarded, they may challenge the decision through administrative procedures or before the courts.

Azerbaijan is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Azerbaijan’s copyright framework is established under Law No. 115‑IQ; however, the statutory exceptions it provides do not conform to the fair use or fair dealing models, thereby limiting the lawful use of copyrighted works by third parties. The relevant exceptions are dispersed across various provisions of the Law, including Art. 18, which concerns the reprographic reproduction of works by libraries, archives, and educational institutions; Art. 19, which regulates the use of works for informational, scientific, educational, and other related purposes; Art. 20, which provides for the use of works permanently located in public spaces; Art. 23, which pertains to ephemeral, short‑term recordings made by broadcasting organisations; and Art. 24, which addresses the reproduction of computer software and databases, as well as the decompilation of computer programs.

It is reported that copyright enforcement is weak in Azerbaijan. Although Azerbaijani law protects copyrights, the use of unlicensed software by both the private and public sectors is commonplace. In 2022, the Copyright Agency of Azerbaijan reported a 71% software piracy rate.

Azerbaijan has adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Azerbaijan has adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Law No. 224‑IIG provides a framework for effective protection of trade secrets.

There is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Azerbaijan to deliver telecom services to end users. However, it is reported that infrastructure sharing is practiced in the mobile sector and in the fixed sector based on commercial agreements.

It is reported that Azerbaijani legislation requires the state to retain a controlling interest in enterprises operating within the satellite communications sector, thereby restricting foreign and domestic private ownership to no more than 49% of equity in such companies. The specific statutory provision establishing this requirement has not been located.

Art. 48 of the Law on Public Procurement provides that the contracting authority may employ the request‑for‑quotations procedure for the procurement of items that have an existing and readily accessible market. Depending on the estimated contract value, this procedure must be conducted among specific categories of suppliers, and only their bids may be considered. Where the estimated value does not exceed 30,000 manats (approx. USD 17.600), participation is limited to suppliers classified as micro or small business entities. Where the estimated value ranges from 30,000 to 100,000 manats (approx. USD 58.800), suppliers classified as micro, small, or medium‑sized business entities may participate.
Art. 50‑1 of the previous Public Procurement Law likewise imposed mandatory participation requirements for micro, small, and medium‑sized enterprises in public procurement procedures.

Art. 5 of the Law on Public Procurement provides that restrictions may be imposed, on grounds of state security or pursuant to Azerbaijan’s international obligations, on the participation in procurement procedures of certain foreign suppliers or foreign suppliers originating from specific countries, including those with which Azerbaijan has no diplomatic relations.

Azerbaijan is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) nor does it have observer status. In fact, the country is an observer and not a full member of the WTO.