Parallel Imports Research Articles

AI Tools in the Digital Transformation Programmes of Industrial Enterprises

This article is devoted to the study of the prospects for the development and implementation of AI in industry in the context of digital transformation. Autonomous factories, integrated supply chains, and autonomous vehicles is a real proof of technological advances that AI brings to life. The article highlights a number of problems and challenges for Russian industry based on the results of applied research conducted in November-December 2023 at 18 medium and large industrial enterprises. The main conclusions include not only the identified systemic problems and risks (shortcomings in digitalisation methodology, ambiguity in calculating economic parameters, lack of technical expertise), but also the most promising areas for the development of AI technologies. The study finds significant potential for enhancing the technologies of the Industry 3.0 and Industry 4.0 paradigms using AI tools. Also, it describe the necessary changes in enterprise management and regulatory government activities aimed at realising the identified potential. In conclusion, the article emphasises the need to optimise parallel imports, develop human capital and adequately analyse the economic parameters of industrial enterprises’ digital transformation project. The authors emphasise the relevance of studying the prospects for the development of AI in industry for Russian economic science in the period 2024–2026.

Stakeholder-led proactive risk assessment of medication safety in the pharmaceutical supply chain

Abstract Introduction In 2022/23, 1.08 billion medications were dispensed to patients using NHS England, at a cost of £19.04 billion1 . However, Elliot et al (2019)2 estimate every year there are 237 million medication errors at some point of the medication process, with a high associated cost. Increasingly, media is reporting medication shortages of critical medicines3 that can contribute to errors of omission. Medication errors suggests system, tasks and processes should be explored to understand if they have been poorly designed. This paper is a pre-Brexit study that examines the pharmaceutical supply chain with stakeholders. Aim To explore risk to medication safety in the pharmaceutical supply chain using qualitative interviews of stakeholders across the supply chain and proactive risk assessment method SHERPA (Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach). Method 1. Qualitative interviews with process models System process models were developed (by literature, field observations and interviewees) and employed to elicit stakeholder perceptions about risk to medication safety in 31 qualitative interviews. Participants included pharmacists, wholesalers, pharmaceutical industry representatives, regulators and policymakers. Ethical approval was granted by Cambridge LREC to include healthcare professionals and 6 patients. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using N-Vivo. 2. Focus group for SHERPA Six stakeholders participated in the SHERPA focus group4 , including pharmacists and representatives from pharmaceutical manufacturing and wholesale industries. Interview participants were invited and those that agreed, attended. The SHERPA template was completed by the group. The session was audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using N-Vivo. Results The system models led to a greater understanding of the current system ‘as-is’ and created an overview of the supply chain. SHERPA is a validated method and provided the rigour to risk assess the supply chain process and identify sources of risk. However, the error mode terminology required adjustment to healthcare. Across all supply routes, the main source of risk was failure to supply medicines that caused errors of omission and the risk of counterfeit medicines. Failure to supply resulted from shortages that take place from trading activities that result in stockpiling or exporting of medicines. A lack of robust regulation and parallel imports increased the risk of counterfeit medicines. Stakeholders highlighted deficiencies in the supply chain and poor performance of stakeholders, as medication safety concerns. In order of frequency, the deficiencies include fragmented supply chain; complacency by stakeholders; poor communication and integration across supply chain; and end-user often regarded as the pharmacist, rather than the patient. Discussion and conclusion From the findings, strategies emerged as possible solutions. These included communication of shortages in each component of supply chain; robust counterfeit strategies; use of technology (automation/digital tools); and re-design tasks and processes in dispensaries and wards. Staff training, education, and revalidation of stakeholders is vital. Key limitations in this study include biases that can occur from recruitment strategy and small sample size. The SHERPA method posed terminology problems. In conclusion, this multi-method approach reveals risk and possible solutions to improve safety and reduce cost in the NHS. It is clear this study needs to be repeated to understand the impact of Brexit and current reconfiguration of NHS.

Access to Medicines in Low- and Middle-Income Countries – Is the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to blame?

This paper argues that the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement is not solely responsible for the lack of access to medicines (ATM) in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). ATM is a complex global health governance issue influenced by various factors, including intellectual property laws, trade agreements, domestic policies, and manufacturing capacity. While the TRIPS Agreement provides flexibilities to address public health concerns, such as compulsory licensing and parallel imports, their effective implementation is hindered by several challenges. This paper emphasizes the need for a multifaceted approach to address ATM, involving domestic policy reforms, international cooperation, and investment in domestic manufacturing capacity. By leveraging these strategies, LMICs can enhance access to essential medicines and improve health outcomes for their populations.

CURRENT ISSUES OF IMPORT OF MEDICAL DEVICES AND EQUIPMENT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The import of medical products remains an important topic at present, given the relevance of healthcare in connection with the sanctions policy of Western countries and the ambiguous situation with foreign supplies of medical products. The situation with the dominant share of imported medical products in the Russian market highlights the dependence on international supplies and technologies in the healthcare sector. The policies and sanctions imposed by the European Union and other countries regarding the supply of medical equipment to Russia cause certain restrictions and difficulties due to the current political situation. Although these goods are classified as vital and do not fall under sanctions, many companies from Europe and the United States have suspended deliveries due to the so-called «moral embargo». Lack of access to modern equipment and medicines can lead to a deterioration in the quality of medical care, an increase in waiting times for treatment, as well as possible complications and a deterioration in the prognosis of the disease in patients. The article analyzes the dynamics of the medical products market over the past few years, and identifies changes in the structure of the medical devices market. The share in the import of medical equipment to Russia was also studied. In addition, the prospects for the development of the medical industry are considered and the current situation is assessed. To solve the problem in the short term, the necessary measures have been proposed to include vital medical devices and equipment in the list of the Ministry of Industry and Trade for its import according to the rules of parallel import.

Параллельный импорт как актуальная проблема правового обеспечения государственного регулирования предпринимательской деятельности

The significance of this research topic emerges from the evolution within the legal framework support-ing state regulation of entrepreneurial activities, alongside significant shifts in the economic sphere of state affairs. These shifts prompt a legislative response to new challenges. A focal issue is the cessation of partnerships between Western corporations and the Russian market, coupled with the rise of «parallel imports». This phenomenon entails the legal purchase of goods listed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade from abroad, even if they originate from countries that lack amicable ties with Russia. The purpose of the study is to consider one of the urgent problems of legal support for state regulation of entrepreneurial activity – the legislative technique of legalizing parallel imports. Materials and methods. The research materials were normative legal acts of the Russian Federation, monographic studies and scientific articles by domestic theorists and practitioners on the legal support of state regulation of entrepreneurial activity. The main methods of scientific research include the normative and comparative legal method. Results and conclusions. It should be noted that the system of legal regulation of parallel imports and exemption from liability of the business sector for its implementation has formed a number of problematic issues in practice. In particular, according to legislative innovations, the ban on the use of intellectual property objects through their parallel import is a thing of the past, however, the wording and legal structure of the changes that have entered into force are of concern, the literal interpretation of which allows us to conclude that at the moment any entrepreneur can freely adapt the methods of acquiring intellectual property objects of foreign rightholders for further resale whose product is subject to parallel import, which does not correspond to the main objectives of the law. In general, considering the controversial nature of parallel imports, it should be concluded that this procedure is not new to international legal doctrine and is applicable in the civil turnover of many countries. The purpose of legalizing parallel imports is seen in providing support to the domestic business sector through limiting a number of economic benefits for foreign producers, which is temporary.

Deploying large language models on diverse computing architectures: A performance evaluation framework

Deploying large language models (LLMs) across diverse computing architectures is a critical challenge in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly as these models become increasingly complex and resource-intensive. This review presents a performance evaluation framework designed to systematically assess the deployment of LLMs on various computing architectures, including CPUs, GPUs, TPUs, and specialized accelerators. The framework is structured around key performance metrics such as computational efficiency, latency, throughput, energy consumption, and scalability. It considers the trade-offs associated with different hardware configurations, optimizing the deployment to meet specific application requirements. The evaluation framework employs a multi-faceted approach, integrating both theoretical and empirical analyses to offer comprehensive insights into the performance dynamics of LLMs. This includes benchmarking LLMs under varying workloads, data batch sizes, and precision levels, enabling a nuanced understanding of how these factors influence model performance across different hardware environments. Additionally, the framework emphasizes the importance of model parallelism and distribution strategies, which are critical for efficiently scaling LLMs on high-performance computing clusters. A significant contribution of this framework is its ability to guide practitioners in selecting the optimal computing architecture for LLM deployment based on application-specific needs, such as low-latency inference for real-time applications or energy-efficient processing for large-scale deployments. The framework also provides insights into cost-performance trade-offs, offering guidance for balancing the financial implications of different deployment strategies with their performance benefits. Overall, this performance evaluation framework is a valuable tool for researchers and engineers, facilitating the efficient deployment of LLMs on diverse computing architectures. By offering a systematic approach to evaluating and optimizing LLM performance, the framework supports the ongoing development and application of these models across various domains. This paper will evaluate the deployment of large language models (LLMs) on diverse computing architectures, including x86, ARM, and RISC-V platforms. It will discuss strategies for optimizing LLM performance, such as dynamic frequency scaling, core scaling, and memory optimization. The research will contribute to understanding the best practices for deploying AI applications on different architectures, supporting technological innovation and competitiveness.

Digitalization of companies is the main trend in the Russian economy

Russian companies have been actively pursuing digital transformation over the past fi ve years, using new technologies such as cloud services, robotics and artifi cial intelligence. These changes are dictated by new conditions, including the penetration of cloud technologies into all sectors of the economy, the growth of robotization and the rapid development of artifi cial intelligence. The national project “Digital Economy” defi nes the main directions, and since its launch in 2019, many changes have been noted in various areas, including industry, agriculture, trade, healthcare and education. There is an increase in demand for automation and intellectualization of information services in order to reduce costs. Trends include the use of open source codes in Russian IT applications, which provides the opportunity for collaboration and exchange of experience between developers from diff erent companies, accelerating technology development. There are a number of problems associated with updating business applications in non-existent small companies, diffi culties in maintaining computing devices and incompatibility of randomly purchased software, as well as diffi culties in administering and ensuring the security of heterogeneous segmented networks. Currently, Russia is undergoing a large-scale restructuring of the economy in accordance with world standards. It is important not only to transform companies and organizations into a digital format, but also to use domestic components and software for this. However, at the moment there are no analogues of some products, and entrepreneurs, under conditions of sanctions and restrictions, are actively looking for solutions, including permitted parallel imports of foreign IT equipment.

Parallel Imports: Striking a Delicate Balance in a Multifaceted Environment

Parallel Imports: Striking a Delicate Balance in a Multifaceted Environment

Problems and Risks of Parallel Imports of Eco-Friendly Materials in Construction

La industria de la construcción está experimentando un cambio en el suministro de materias primas, bienes, etc. Este estudio está estipulado por los problemas para proporcionar a la industria de la construcción materiales extraños y los riesgos asociados. El artículo tiene como objetivo determinar las diferencias entre importaciones directas y paralelas, separar las importaciones paralelas de las actividades falsificadas y proponer estrategias para reducir los riesgos asociados. En el marco del enfoque dialéctico, los autores del artículo utilizan diversos métodos científicos, incluido el análisis de la literatura científica, el análisis económico, estructural, estadístico, matemático y comparativo. Los autores concluyen que es posible reducir la dependencia de la industria de la construcción de las importaciones mediante la creación de empresas nacionales que produzcan materias primas y bienes que actualmente escasean debido a las sanciones. En este sentido, se reformarán las cadenas de suministro y proporcionarán mejores posiciones en el mercado mundial de la construcción en cooperación con los fabricantes premium chinos. Además, se establecen rumbos para las importaciones paralelas, aunque este enfoque presenta ciertas dificultades y riesgos. La sustitución de importaciones mediante materias primas, productos, etc. nacionales tendrá un efecto positivo en el entorno económico y social de Rusia y conducirá a una disminución de la escasez de bienes o productos extranjeros.

Connection of BRICS and EAEU integration projects in the context of Russian economic development

The ongoing transformation of the Russian economy under external sanctions pressure determines the development of integration projects in the post-Soviet space, which differ in the form and depth of economic cooperation. The expansion of BRICS, as well as the strengthening of mutual trade with Asia and the search for new trading partners, is of great relevance in the context of studying trade and economic connectivity between the BRICS members, Russia and the EAEU countries. The article is devoted to the analysis of promising areas of cooperation between the BRICS countries and the EAEU. The purpose is to identify the most promising trading partners among the BRICS countries in the context of the expansion of the organization and the accession of five new members. The study highlights optimal models of cooperation between the EAEU and BRICS countries in the context of reorientation of trade flows. The conclusion of the article is the need to strengthen horizontal interaction between companies of the EAEU and BRICS jurisdictions in the context of increasing the volume of parallel imports of high-tech products and developing infrastructure projects that affect the interests of Russia and partner countries.

Product Introduction with Parallel Importation

The aim of this paper is to investigate the manufacturer’s product introduction decision when entering a foreign market by considering parallel importation. This paper considers a situation where a manufacturer already sells an original product directly in the domestic market and decides to introduce an original product, a new product, or both through a retailer in a foreign market, and a parallel importer may divert the original product across markets due to price gap (we call it parallel importation). This paper shows that when consumers perceive gray products as perfect substitutes for authorized products, the manufacturer switches from introducing two products to introducing a new product and still maintains the quality of the new product in the presence of parallel importation. Furthermore, in response to parallel importation, the manufacturer not only narrows the price gap for original products between two markets but also reduces the wholesale price of new products in the foreign market. In addition, parallel importation always hurts the retailer but may benefit the manufacturer. Counterintuitively, parallel importation always improves social welfare in the domestic market but may damage social welfare in the foreign market.

Legal Regulation of Cross-Border Relations in E-commerce in the context of Parallel Imports

The sale of goods on marketplaces, including foreign trade activities, is actively spreading in the modern world and provokes competition with classical (offline) trade. Marketplaces, as electronic trading platforms in a broader sense, are often interested in implementing new, stable approaches to the sale of goods, including cross-border foreign trade activities, in order to offer online buyers a wide range of goods at competitive prices. Parallel import is one of the strategies used by sellers and business owners on marketplaces to achieve this goal. Since foreign trade using parallel import tools involves, in fact, the resale on the domestic market of goods that are produced abroad and imported for sale in a particular State without the consent of the right-holder, as well as marked with the trademark of the right-holder or in which other results of intellectual activity are expressed (relevant from the point of view of the problem of exhaustion of exclusive rights, in particular, the objects of patent rights), cross-border opportunities of marketplaces seem to be the best place for the sale of goods imported by means of parallel imports. At the same time, the peculiarities of cross-border electronic commerce give rise to the latest challenges related to the proliferation of counterfeit products, violation of the intellectual rights of third parties, the requirements of the legislation of the country of sale on advertising, protection of competition, protection of consumer rights.

Testing the bidirectional causation among media attention and the protest scale: the case of Hong Kong

Media attention is crucial for the success of social movements. In contemporary hybrid media ecology, news media, social media, and on-site protests interact with each other during social movements. The present study investigated the relationships among the scale of street protests, attention from news media, and social media in the Anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong. The results show that attention from pro-democracy and nonlocal media significantly influences fluctuations in the protest scale. Moreover, they closely correlate with changes in protest size, highlighting the importance of political parallelism in media coverage during contentious movements. We also found a two-way relationship between the degree of social media attention in the LIHKG forum and the scale of on-site protests. This suggests that social media not only serves as a platform for public discourse on protest events but that it also acts as a mobilizing force for participants. Additionally, our results indicate that news media has a significant influence on shaping attention trends on social media, thus confirming the effectiveness of traditional media in driving social movements in Hong Kong, even amid the rise of social media platforms.

Theoretical Foundations of the Foreign Economic Relations Strategy of the Russian Federation at the Present Stage

Introduction. The author of this text is convinced that in the modern world foreign economic relations remain a crucial way of maintaining economic activity. Sustainable economic relations with other states are a necessary condition for the country's economic growth. However, due to changes in the global financial, economic and political systems, Russia is forced to look for new economic and political allies. The main task for our country is to establish close and mutually beneficial relations with the leading countries of the East, such as China and India, in order to ensure economic security in the face of possible isolation in the international arena.Materials and methods. The methodological basis of this research was made up of general scientific and special research methods, such as induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, classification, comparative, descriptive, comparative, logical, structural-functional methods, various methods of statistical analysis. The author of the study used tabular and graphical forms of representation of the processes and phenomena under consideration.Research results. The study revealed that Russian government authorities use various tools to maintain foreign trade and ensure economic security in the context of anti-Russian sanctions. The balance between protectionist and free trade policies depends on the situation in international markets, the geopolitical situation in the world, but especially on the level of competitiveness. The introduction of sanctions by the collective West has become the main factor, changing the foreign economic situation for Russia in 2022. Russia’s new foreign economic strategy is based on the search for friendly partners, willing to purchase sanctioned goods. Thanks to this strategy, Russia was able to reorient foreign economic relations towards Asia and the Middle East, as well as to establish parallel imports while maintaining competitiveness and even increasing foreign trade turnover.Discussion and conclusion. The need for Russia to enter the Chinese and Indian trade markets and to strengthen foreign economic relations with Asia is substantiated; the main groups of goods that can contribute to the development of mutually beneficial exchange and strengthening of economic cooperation between these countries are analyzed; the possibility and importance of further development of foreign economic relations with Asian states, which can become no less important and useful partners for Russia than the former states of Europe, have been proven.

PARALLEL IMPORT: THEORY, PRACTICE AND SPECIFICS IN THE CONTEXT OF SANCTIONS RESTRICTIONS

Parallel import refers to one of the controversial and ambiguous issues actively discussed in scientific literature over the past decades. On the one hand, parallel import is associated with the violation of intellectual property rights of trademark owners, and on the other hand, it is an indirect tool to combat price discrimination on the world market. Parallel import as a forced measure under sanctions is of particular research interest. The legalization on parallel imports in Russia, which allows to freely import certain goods into the country without the copyright holders’ permission, is aimed at countering large-scale anti-Russian sanctions, maintaining stable trade turnover and protecting the domestic industrial sector. The purpose of the work is to study the reasons for parallel import existence, its positive and negative aspects, as well as the specifics of importing goods into the country under sanctions. The methodology of the study is based on the analysis of international and Russian legislative framework, generalization of scientific and practical approaches to parallel import issues, as well as statistical data. The results of the study allows us to conclude that using the term «parallel import» to characterize the processes of importing goods under sanctions is not entirely legitimate due to the absence of the main, authorized import channel in most cases. The work provides a risk map related to the use of a parallel import scheme in the activities of Russia’s enterprises. The findings can be applied by commercial and industrial enterprises in devising a risk minimization strategy in conditions of sanctions restrictions.

EXHAUSTION OF TRADEMARK RIGHTS IN KAZAKHSTAN UNDER REGIONAL EXHAUSTION IN THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION

Background: This article aims to examine the trademark rights exhaustion regime for Kazakhstan in the context of a high level of importation of goods and free trade in the Eurasian Economic Union1 (hereinafter “EAEU”). It addresses consumers’ interests and discusses business and intellectual property (hereinafter “IP”) law in relation to the exhaustion regime. It discusses trademark use in Kazakhstan, the prohibition of such use by trademark owners, and the limits of a trademark owner’s right to prohibit such use. While national and regional legislations introduce the regime of regional exhaustion of trademark rights in Kazakhstan, their legal constructions contain gaps and mutually exclusive provisions which create uncertainty for trademark owners and courts, thereby enabling infringement in the form of parallel import. Methods: To achieve the goal of this article, the authors applied a set of methods consisting of content analysis and case study. Particularly, the authors analysed the national and regional legislation applicable in Kazakhstan and examined the existing court practice that reveals certain problems with the exhaustion of trademark rights. Moreover, the article includes a comparative analysis of legislation from the United Kingdom (hereinafter “UK”), the European Union (hereinafter “EU”), and select Eastern European countries. Results: Thus, the paper provides an overview of the currently implemented regime of exhaustion in Kazakhstan and its application in the EAEU and examines the challenges created by uncertainties regarding which rights are being exhausted.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE RUSSIAN OIL INDUSTRY IN 2022-2023

The article examines the state of Russia’s oil industry over the period 2022 and 2023 as geopolitical changes shifted from one year to the next. The author notes that despite the sanctions pressure, Russia has successfully managed to reorient its oil markets towards Asia. Exports to India are the most actively developing; the ease of transition was due, among other things, to the availability of ready-made business in India: new refineries were built on the coast, for which oil was purchased from the nearest markets. In 2022-2023, India became the largest market for Russian oil delivered by sea. As for supplies via oil pipelines, China remains the largest consumer. Under these conditions, Russian companies have an opportunity use the competition between the countries to their advantage by reducing the discount on their products.The USA used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil products until 2022, currently this role is taken by Turkiye. The state buys large volumes from Russia and then resells similar volumes to the EU countries. Despite the statements about different origin of oil products, formally the volumes of purchases and sales coincide.A significant role in the supply of Russian resources by sea is played by the shadow fleet, which began operating after the introduction of the «price ceiling». The fleet’s tankers have been bought off the world market by various companies that are registered offshore.There has been no reduction in production and exports due to technical problems caused by sanctions on the supply of equipment and technologies to Russia, or due to the withdrawal of Western oil service companies. Domestic structures quickly managed to establish a system of parallel imports, as well as to find alternative equipment in China.

Features of parallel imported goods sale

This article assesses the role of parallel imports in the current economic conditions in Russia, analyzes the features of the sale of such goods, including labeling and warranty service processes, and highlights the main advantages and disadvantages of legalizing parallel imports. It has been established that the most popular countries for supplying goods under the parallel import procedure are Armenia, Turkey, the UAE, and Kazakhstan.

Legal Regulation of Parallel Import in the States of the Eurasian Region

The article is devoted to the problem of regulating parallel imports in the countries of the Eurasian region, which is significant in the conditions of the modern world economy. The relevance of this issue is related to the economic sanctions applied to such states of the Eurasian region as the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The legal regulation of issues of protection of intellectual property rights in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, and Azerbaijan is analyzed. Special attention is paid to the consideration of the practice of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, as well as legal acts regulating the rights of both copyright holders and importers and consumers, who are subject to the consequences of certain decisions of copyright holders who do not consent to the import of goods into different states.Aim. Research of the legal regulation of the institution of parallel imports in the states of the Eurasian region in the context of economic sanctions.Tasks. Analysis of regulations governing the protection of intellectual property rights in the states of the Eurasian region, research of the main directions of parallel imports in the states of the Eurasian region, as well as identification of the main legal problems associated with the legalization of parallel imports in the region.Methods. Comparative legal and cross-temporal analysis of international and national regulations in the field of antitrust, copyright and customs law, as well as the study and analysis of general scientific literature and the formation of one’s own conclusions during the research.Results. As a rule, the states of the Eurasian region have established the national principle of exhaustion of rights to a trademark, and the international principle is used as an exception for certain groups of goods. The legalization of parallel imports raises several formal questions about the compliance of permission to import without the consent of the copyright holder with the international obligations of various states.Conclusions. In connection with the introduction of economic sanctions against some states of the Eurasian region, parallel imports are an effective mechanism for protecting the domestic market from abuses by copyright holders who unreasonably deny importers the right to distribute goods. Also, one of the methods to neutralize the consequences of sanctions regulation is to use the markets of other countries in the Eurasian region, which do not directly prohibit parallel imports.

Параллельный импорт: международный опыт

The article discusses the theoretical aspects of the concept of ‘parallel import’ and its legal regulation in other countries. The impact of international economic sanctions in 2022 on the dynamics of the withdrawal of foreign companies from the Russian market is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of using parallel imports in the framework of countering economic sanctions are determined.