Over 300 foreign companies stand to lose their Russian trademarks
More than 300 foreign companies fear losing their trademarks in Russia. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing an analysis of court documents conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek magazine.
Under Russian law, any trademark can be revoked if it has not been used for three years. After that, anyone who applies for the rights and pays a roughly $1,500 fee can claim the trademark, the article says.
According to Bloomberg, several foreign companies, such as Victoria's Secret, Ericsson, Inditex and Nokia, have already lost the rights to some of their trademarks. To avoid this, companies can apply to Rospatent to renew their trademarks.
Bloomberg reports that in 2024, Rospatent received 15,534 applications from foreign companies, which is more than in each of the previous five years. Foreign companies regularly register their trademarks in Russia to protect their brands, even though they have left the Russian market. For example, since the beginning of 2025, Rospatent has already registered trademarks for companies such as Dyson, Ralph Lauren, Rolex, Jameson, Starbucks, and Dior, TASS reports. Bloomberg also names Intel and Microsoft among those who filed applications this year.
Rospatent told the agency that it protects the intellectual property of Russian and foreign companies alike and fulfils all its international obligations. Most applications to renew registered foreign trademarks have been approved.
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05.12.25