Russian Federation: Intellectual Property

Foreign companies that have suspended or exited the Russian market face a critical challenge: their registered trademarks risk cancellation after three years of non-use, opening the door to bad-faith registrations and loss of valuable brand assets.

Russian trademark practice evolves and adapts to modern realities, facing numerous challenges. One of such challenges in Russian practice has been so-called brand squatting.

Russian law continues to protect widely known trademarks even after foreign companies exit the market, with courts increasingly rejecting bad-faith attempts to capture famous brands through non-use cancellation actions. This analysis examines emerging legal mechanisms that allow trademark owners to maintain brand control during periods of suspended operations, including strategic filing practices and defenses based on consumer confusion and legitimate interest challenges.