Utilising The Full Range Of Protection

The exclusive right to a trademark in Russia is secured on registration with the Russian Trademark Office (Rospatent) or as the result of an international registration designating Russia. There are plans to launch a Eurasian trademark system, which implies the introduction of regional trademark protection across the Eurasian Economic Union.

However, a trademark is not the only IP asset used to distinguish goods and services; company names, appellations of origin and commercial designations (ie, trade names) are also available. Commercial designations are a typical means of individualisation and are secured based on use, rather than registration.

It is worth taking a closer look at how unregistered designations are used in Russia, with particular regard to: