Russia

Russia is a party to the Madrid Agreement on the International Registration of Marks. Trademark protection is ensured through registration. Russian legislation on intellectual property protection consists of the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 44), international agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party, federal laws, and acts. Civil law protection of intellectual property is provided for in Part 4 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, which came into effect on January 1, 2008, based on the Federal Law "On Enacting Part Four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation" dated December 18, 2006, No. 231-FZ.

Requirements

The trademark application must be submitted by a local patent attorney to Rospatent, which is the registration authority for intellectual property in Russia. The trademark application must be submitted only in Russian. Any supporting documents must be translated into Russian and submitted by the applicant within two months from the date of application. A legalized power of attorney is required. After passing the state examination, a foreign applicant has the same opportunity to become the lawful owner of a trademark registered in the territory of the Russian Federation as any Russian company.

Procedure

The application process includes a formal examination and a substantive examination, which is the longest stage in the entire trademark registration process. The substantive examination of the trademark takes up to 12 months. According to the Eurasian Patent Convention, the application must be published within 18 months. The opposition period is three months from the date of publication of the application.

Duration

Trademark registration in Russia is valid for 10 years, starting from the date of registration. The registration can be renewed for successive 10-year periods.

Methods

NATIONAL REGISTRATION: If you just want to register your Trademark in one country, it is sufficient to apply for a national registration at the local trademark office.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION (MADRID SYSTEM)*: If you already have filed a trademark application or have a trademark registration in one or more countries of the Madrid Union (based on the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol), you can obtain trademark protection by filing one single application, so called International Registration (Madrid System).

*Note: The fees for an International Trademark Application (WIPO) will be calculated for each individual country or multiple countries. For a quotation please send us an e-mail with the name of countries where you currently have a registration and all preferable countries where you wish to extend your trademark protection.

Extra

If a trademark has not been used for three years from the date of registration or subsequently has not been used continuously for three years, it may be canceled.