70.4 thousand of the registered marks belong to Russian applicants — internal branding activity is growing at a faster pace. The remainder is accounted for by foreign copyright holders, who continue to register rights on the Russian market.
Most often, legal protection was provided in the categories of software, electronics and smartphones, clothing and footwear, household chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics, as well as printed products and stationery. It is these commodity groups that form the main stream of imports from the BRICS and EAEU countries.
The total number of active trademarks in Russia is close to 1.1 million. Deputy Minister of Economic Development Tatyana Ilyushnikova explained that you can apply for registration online, as well as through service centers.
The agency attributes the increase in the number of registered trademarks to the improvement of the legal culture and the modernization of digital services that simplify the filing of applications and the management of the rights portfolio. The online submission format has lowered the entry threshold for small and medium-sized businesses.
For participants in foreign economic activity, the growth of the registry means increased risks when introducing new brands to the Russian market: the likelihood of a conflict with an already registered designation increases in proportion to the volume of the portfolio. A preliminary check on the Rospatent database before submitting an application or launching sales becomes a mandatory step, especially in the categories of electronics, clothing and cosmetics, where competition for trademarks is highest.
Foreign companies supplying goods to Russia should also check whether their brand has been registered by a third market participant: the practice of "intercepting" trademarks persists, and a portfolio of 1.1 million active trademarks significantly increases the likelihood of such collisions.
