The law (Article 1508 of the Civil Code) provides that a
trademark protected in Russia based on its state registration or in
accordance with an international agreement or used as a trademark,
or a designation used as a trademark but not registered as such in
Russia may be recognised as a well-known trademark. However, it can
only be recognised from the date indicated in the application if
that trademark or that designation became widely known among
relevant consumers in Russia as a result of its intensive use.
It is Not the Date of the of the Application
It is not the date of the application; it is the date from
which, according to the applicant, the trademark/designation became
widely known. Recognition of a given designation as a wellknown
trademark is confirmation of what has become widely known. On the
other hand, one may argue that the possibility of recognition of a
given designation as a well-known trademark may jeopardise the
validity of any registered
