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.
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.
The Russian IP court has upheld a Russia Patent and Trademark Office decision on descriptiveness, outlining the process for determining descriptive applications and the importance of acquiring distinctiveness through use. Read more
This update looks at the implications of the shock announcement from Russia concerning changes to the legal definitions of ‘Champagne’ and ‘Cognac’ in the country. Read more
Two recent cases in the Russian IP Court have shone a guiding light on calculating the amount of compensation to be awarded in IP infringement cases. Read more
A trademark case involving the verbal element CIPRIANI shows that if brand owners wish to maintain their trademark rights, they must demonstrate their use of the mark for each product for which it is registered and for which the plaintiff has proved its interest. Read more
Russia is a signatory to almost all the international treaties governing IP matters. The international conventions and treaties are regarded as integral parts of the Russian legal system. Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Russian Supreme Court has adopted a new plenum resolution “On some issues arising from the application of the antitrust law by the courts”, which provides guidelines on the protection against unfair competition that will be of interest to IP rights owners. Read more
The new “Rules for Consideration and Resolution of Administrative Disputes by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property”, which entered into force on 6 September 2020, may lead IP rights owners to reconsider their defence strategies in Russia. Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Ivlievlooks at its current operations and speaks about future plans. Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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'.
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
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
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
In this guest analysis piece, Eugene Arievich examines two recent pieces of case law that resulted in 3D marks being accepted onto the register. Read more
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
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
