Trademark Registrations Greatly Increasing in Russia

According to the report “Trademarks in Russia: Growing Opportunities, Major Challenges”, released in June 2010 by Thomson Reuters, trademark registrations in Russia increased by 46 percent in the period between 2004 and 2009, which is the largest increase of any country in the world and indicates Russia’s growing importance for trademark holders and IP professionals.

In comparison, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States experienced respectively a 40, 3, 23, 5, 5, and 6 percent increase for the same time period.

Despite the world economic crisis, 50,107 applications were filed in Russia in 2009, compared with 57,112 applications in 2008 and 57,262 in 2007. There was a slight decrease in the applications filed by domestic applicants — 31,502 in 2007 vs. 30,024 in 2008. However, the number of applications filed by foreign applicants in 2008 rose by more than 5 percent compared with 2007 — 27,088 and 25,760 respectively. By the end of 2009, the total number of valid registrations in the country reached 246,607.

Before 1999, more than 60 percent of all registered and operational trademarks belonged to foreign corporations. However, due to Russia’s significant economic growth in 1999, 63 percent of all applications and 50 percent of all registered trademarks belonged to domestic applicants. In 2008, 53 percent of all applications and 54 percent of all registered trademarks belonged to domestic applicants.

In 2008, foreign registrants were mainly corporations from the U.S, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, and China. There was a significant increase in U.S. registrations (917 in 1991 vs. 3,502 in 2008) and Germany (1,796 in 1991 vs. 3,408 in 2008). The data for 2009 were not available.

The statistics also show an increase in the number of objections and claims filed before the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent) appeal body, the Chamber of Patent Disputes. This number decreased in 2008 compared with 2007, but it was still significantly higher than during the 2004-2006 period.

The report also provides an overview of Russia’s economic and political conditions and covers the history of the trademark law in the country. Also discussed in the report are the challenges that the Russian Cyrillic alphabet poses for trademark owners. To view the full report, please go here.

For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Thomson Reuters