Armenia used to be a part of the former Soviet Union. The Republic of Armenia was proclaimed an independent State by Parliament on September 21, 1991, following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on August 23, 1990.

First national intellectual property laws, the Law “on Patents”, concerning legal protection of inventions, utility models and industrial designs, in force since August 25, 1993, and The Temporary Regulations of “Trade Marks and Services Marks”, in force since November 19, 1995, were replaced by new laws: Law on Inventions, Utility Models and Industrial Designs, effective as of January 1, 2009 and Law on Trade and Service Marks and Appellation of Origin, effective as of April 15, 2000. The latter was further replaced by new separate laws: Law on Trademarks and Law on Geographical Indications, effective as of July 1, 2010.

Further, the intellectual property field has been regulated by related provisions of the Civil Code (May 5, 1998 with the amendments), Criminal Code (April 18, 2003), Customs Code (July 7, 2000), Law on Firm Names (January 7, 2000), Law on Copyright and Related Rights (June 15, 2006), Law on Economic Competition Protection (December 15, 2000), as well as Law on Selection Achievements Protection (January 7, 2000), and Law on Integrated Circuits Topology Protection (March 24, 1998).