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Russian Federation

Innovation at Rospatent: spotlight on non-core tools and services

In the latest in our series on IP innovation, the Russian Intellectual Property Office (Rospatent) shares the innovative tools and services it has launched or is developing for the future.

11 Sep 2020

Russia exhibits strong filings growth on the back of changes to its intellectual property system

Back-end work continues to improve the registry and trademark landscape. Subsequently, there has been a noticeable uptick in local brands pushing for the protection of their rights.

10 Jun 2020

Important developments in three-dimensional trademarks protection in Russia

In this guest analysis piece, Eugene Arievich examines two recent pieces of case law that resulted in 3D marks being accepted onto the register.

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3 Sep 2020

New law allows 3D trademark models and e-certificates at Rospatent

A new law that aims to update and streamline the Russian trademark system will allow 3D models to be submitted in applications for trademarks, inventions, utility models and industrial designs – the intention is that this will improve examinations by helping specialists to visualise the claimed dimensional object Read more

27 Aug 2020

Customs recordal in Russia: significant Arbitration Court decision gives boost to trademark owners

The Moscow Arbitration Court has handed down a significant ruling which might make it easier for rights holders to record their trademarks in the Customs Register. Read more

20 Aug 2020

The impact of covid-19 on the trademark community in Russia

The outbreak of covid-19 has significantly affected trademark practices in Russia. Now that restrictions have eased, we can start to see the effect of the pandemic on filing numbers in the country. Read more

19 Aug 2020

Rospatent elaborates on procedure for filing informal observations regarding company and trade names

While Russian legislation provides for the possibility of challenging a trademark application on the grounds of similarity to a prior company name, examiners at the Russian Patent and Trademark Office (Rospatent) have never paid much attention to this provision. A recent Rospatent memorandum elaborates on the means of challenging a pending application on these grounds. Read more

Anti-Counterfeiting

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28 Feb 2020

New amendments affecting the pharmaceutical market – key points highlighted

Russia’s Law on the Circulation of Medicines is probably one of the country’s most debated laws. However, new amendments introduced in December have been largely welcomed by the local pharmaceutical community. Read more

16 Jan 2020

How to increase efficiency of online brand protection efforts in Russia

According to the available statistics, counterfeit products account for more than 46% of the global market, significantly more than sales of heroin (7%), cocaine (8%), gambling games (14%), prostitution (18%) and other illegal businesses. Read more

5 Dec 2019

Five counterfeit hotspots in Russia that brand owners must be aware of

In the latest edition of our series on markets around the world that are reportedly notorious for the sale of counterfeit goods, we head to Russia. Read more

28 Nov 2019

Product ID labelling becomes mandatory in Russia

Russia’s product labelling system, which was first launched in 2016 as a pilot project to cover fur and pharmaceutical products, has been expanded to cover the tobacco, footwear and pharmaceutical industries. The system should help to reduce the volume of counterfeit goods in the country. Read more

Brand management

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8 Apr 2020

Online education spikes in the midst of covid-19, adding fuel to an already high-growth market

Remote learning is one of the few industries being boosted by the ongoing crisis, and it could be a make or break moment for brands in this sector. Read more

6 Apr 2020

Brand creation and protection: out with the old

Trademark experts from across the globe offer critical insight into brand creation best practice and guidance on pitfalls to avoid. Read more

3 Apr 2020

Securing well-known status: if at first you don’t succeed, conduct market research

With few marks recognised as well known in Russia, evidence of use in the country, consistent branding and market research can be key to gaining such status, but it often requires perseverance. Read more

30 Jan 2020

Domain name disputes in Russia: how to get the most compensation in court

In this exclusive guest post, Denis Dorotenko, senior legal counsel at Yandex, analyses recent Russian court practice on domain name disputes and identifies factors to ensure that brand owners get the maximum compensation. Read more

Enforcement and Litigation

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7 Aug 2020

Court imposes asset-freezing order on 65 trademarks in remarkable decision

A rare Moscow District Federal Arbitration Court decision may set an interesting precedent in terms of the active use of IP assets as a tool in disputes between businesses. Read more

17 Jun 2020

Russia introduces mandatory drug labelling

Starting 1 from July 2020, all pharmaceutical products for medical use in Russia will have to be labelled in accordance with the federal information system for monitoring the circulation of pharmaceutical products. Read more

11 Mar 2020

Allianz retains ROSNO mark following dispute with competitor

In the dispute between insurance companies Allianz and RESO-Chance, the Russian IP Court has ordered the partial termination of one of Allianz’s ROSNO marks for certain services, but found that the other marks had been put to genuine use during the relevant period. Read more

20 Jan 2020

BBC recovers its TOP GEAR trademark after two-year battle

The Russian Intellectual Property Court has overturned its earlier decision in a case involving the invalidation of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s TOP GEAR trademark. Read more

Government/Policy

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26 May 2020

Ministry of Communications supports bid to liberalise advertising law in wake of covid-19 pandemic

As the advertising market has been significantly affected by the covid-19 pandemic and its financial fallout, the Russian Ministry of Communications is considering the possibility of liberalising the Law on Advertising to allow for the advertisement of prescription medicines, sport poker and alcohol. Read more

30 Jul 2019

Geographical indications on the horizon in Russia

The Duma has passed a bill with provisions clarifying the requirements for geographical indications on its final reading, a new and long-awaited IP development in Russia. Read more

29 Jul 2019

Road to Russia: why Rospatent is positive about the future

Over the past couple of years rapid improvements have been made at the Russian IP office. In an exclusive feature, the head of the registry looks at its current operations and speaks candidly about plans for the future. Read more

29 Jul 2019

The future is bright for Rospatent

Over the past couple of years rapid improvements have been made at the Russian IP office. In an exclusive column, head of the registry Grigory Ivliev looks at its current operations and speaks about future plans. Read more

Law Firms

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1 Aug 2019

Best practice in litigation strategies: global perspectives

Trademark experts from around the world offer practical guidance on how to maximise the chances of litigation success in their jurisdiction. Read more

23 Nov 2018

IPOPHL celebrates record haul, Rospatent promotes benefits of GIs, and emoji-tions run high in China: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at $7 million worth of counterfeit condoms being seized in China, Canada Goose opening an additional office in Beijing, and much more. Read more

20 Apr 2018

Kit Kat blow, Comey trademark abandoned, and Russian IP office pledges blockchain support: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at the Advocate General’s latest Kit Kat decision, Liverpool FC embroiled in a dispute, a strong start for the ‘.app’ new gTLD, advice on building a fashion retail brand in 2018, and much more. Read more

IP Offices

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26 Jun 2020

Impact of covid-19 pandemic on IP practice in Russia

The restrictions imposed by the Russian government in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic had some positive effects on IP practice, as Rospatent was encouraged to speed up the introduction of new online platforms encompassing all its services. Read more

17 Jul 2019

Naming, registering and advertising pharmaceutical trademarks in Russia

The pharmaceutical industry is a high-tech development priority and pharmaceutical production must happen alongside the development of an appropriate IP protection strategy. Pharmaceutical trademarks owners would be well advised to consider any issues in the context of the Russian market. Read more

24 Dec 2018

New court decisions provide fresh wisdom on trademarks in Russia

Three recent cases look set to shake up trademark practice in Russia and could well have an impact for years to come – especially when it comes to parallel imports and the territorial principles of trademark protection. Read more

11 Sep 2018

More #MeToo trademark applications, USPTO scandalous marks fight, and FIFA thanks Rospatent for World Cup help: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at more trademark applications related to the #MeToo movement, the Swedish IP Office warning against fake election posters, a US court having its say on trademark bullying, and much more. Read more

Online

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21 Aug 2019

From Jumia to Ozon: the regional e-commerce sites that rights holders need to be policing

Outside of North America and China, new ecommerce marketplaces are springing up at an increasing rate. As these regional platforms grow, infringers have swarmed to them in response to the global platforms’ growing anti-counterfeiting efforts. Read more

1 Aug 2019

How FaceApp’s terms of use could open risk of infringement that you can’t fight

A media storm has circled around Russian-owned FaceApp over fears that personal data is being sold for potentially nefarious purposes. We speak with an expert about the legal issues that rights holders should be aware of. Read more

14 Mar 2019

Online brand protection strategies for the Russian market

New challenges in a digital world dictate the necessity of adapting brand protection strategies. In the past, it was enough to deal with infringements on a case-by-case basis. However, today it is impossible to handle thousands of online infringements manually and more efficient tools (online brand protection solutions) are required. Read more

4 Jun 2018

Can BLACK FRIDAY owner prevent use of 'Real Black Friday'?

The cassation court in Russia has confirmed that the owner of BLACK FRIDAY for services in Class 35 had abused its rights by suing an association of online shops for using the words 'Real Black Friday'.

Portfolio Management

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24 Dec 2019

Clearing the market of FMCG counterfeits

Russia’s fast-moving consumer goods market is growing thanks to increasing consumption and accelerated competition between manufacturers and retailers. Players in the market should consider IP protection, advertising and unfair competition when building an effective enforcement strategy. Read more

14 Nov 2019

Protecting and enforcing design rights: Russia

1 Oct 2019

Procedures and strategies for pharmaceutical brands: Russia

In 2018 the top development strategy of companies involved in the Russian pharmaceutical market was ‘aggressive marketing’. In such circumstances, trademark registration takes on considerable importance as it provides an effective measure to secure exclusive rights over a product’s unique identity. Read more

30 Sep 2019

Building an effective enforcement strategy to fight unfair competition in advertising

In the fight against unfair marketing practices, businesses operating in Russia would be well advised to understand the correlation between unfair advertising and unfair competition and to take account of the relevant legal provisions so as to build up an effective enforcement strategy. Read more

Trademark law

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9 Dec 2019

Twitter

28 Sep 2020

@WTRmagazine Alibaba to unveil new SME Advisory Committee focused on IP protection and enforcement. https://t.co/DuU1yI2Wo5 https://t.co/rrMaYizQXZ Read more

23 Sep 2020

@WTRmagazine RT @AlYafiIPGroup: “Beirut will rise again” – exclusive interview with Head of Lebanon IPP ofﬁce https://t.co/hpmDyQlAnV Read more

18 Sep 2020

@WTRmagazine RT @balashiha_org: Gross Domestic Failure – Banksy trademark portfolio “at risk” after registration ruled invalid https://t.co/yH2ptmMUBr h… Read more

18 Sep 2020

@WTRmagazine RT @IPScott_BFKNLaw: #LionelMessi scores #EUTrademark #Messi, attempted block by Spanish cycle & sportswear company #Massi. How likely are… Read more