Nearly half of all Russian brands have retained their legal protection in Ukraine: what does this mean?
3 June 13:34
Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, 16 Russian trademarks have been able to renew their registrations with the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation. Overall, 1,356 out of 3,238 Russian trademarks registered in Ukraine prior to the large-scale invasion remain under legal protection. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing data from ” OpenDataBot.”
Among these brands are names well-known to Ukrainians: Agusha, Chudo, Prostokvashino, Maisky, Curtis, Richard, Baltika, and others.
Why Russian brands are still protected in Ukraine
Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, a moratorium on registration activities for residents of Russia and Belarus has been in effect. This means they cannot transfer ownership rights to their trademarks or conduct other similar transactions. However, renewing a trademark registration is not prohibited, and it is precisely this provision that the owners of some of these brands have taken advantage of.
UKRNIVI explains that Ukrainian legislation does not automatically block the renewal of trademarks even in the presence of sanctions. Moreover, the NSDC’s decision explicitly permits such actions as an exception to the general moratorium.
Which Russian trademarks have been extended during the war
Among the 16 trademarks that have already had their protection extended are:
- Algerika
- image of the Prostokvashino trademark
- Kerama
- Superfix
- Extraplast
- Luxplast
- Inmarko
- Fichka
- Magnat
- Pantokaltsin
- Smirnov.
Some of them have been granted a new term of validity until 2032–2033, meaning that certain Russian brands may remain within the Ukrainian legal framework for many years to come.
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How many Russian trademarks are still active
The article notes that 1,356 Russian trademarks remain under legal protection in Ukraine. This is nearly half of all Russian trademarks registered before the start of the war. At the same time, UKRNIVI itself noted that it does not maintain separate statistics specifically regarding Russian trademarks.
It is also reported that the registration certificates for another 196 trademarks have already expired, but they may still appear as active in the registries until the changes are officially published. Therefore, the actual number of active brands may be slightly lower, but legally, this is the situation.
In which sectors are there the most Russian brands
The highest concentration of Russian trademarks that remain protected falls within the following sectors:
- advertising and business services — 454 brands
- medical and hygiene products — 383
- paper products and stationery — 243
- food products and condiments — 192.
These figures may overlap, as a single trademark can be registered in multiple classes simultaneously.
Among the brands that remain protected are names well-known to Ukrainians: Agusha, Chudo, Prostokvashino, Maisky, Curtis, Richard, Baltika, and others. Many of them have been present on the Ukrainian market for years, and even now their legal rights are formally protected.
Why a Russian trademark cannot simply be revoked
It is not possible to automatically cancel a trademark solely because of the owner’s Russian origin. This requires a separate court decision. If the owner’s assets are seized as state revenue pursuant to a decision by the High Anti-Corruption Court, the rights to such trademarks are transferred to the control of the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
Court practice has already shown that the moratorium is not merely a formality. In 2024, Ukrainian courts upheld a refusal to transfer rights to trademarks owned by a Belarusian resident. In other words, attempts to conceal a brand’s Russian or Belarusian origin by changing the owner are currently unsuccessful.
Why Ukraine is retaining these trademarks within the legal framework
UKRNIVI believes that retaining rights to Russian trademarks may be important for future legal proceedings against the Russian Federation. Such assets could potentially be used to compensate for damages caused by the war.
It is also noted that even sanctions do not always mean a loss of legal status. Currently, 23 trademarks are subject to NSDC sanctions, but they remain registered and formally protected in Ukraine.
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