The Chamber of Patent Disputes stated that the little-known geographical names that are not perceived by an average consumer should not be prohibited from registration.
Russia and China have a strong and long-standing economic partnership. Many Chinese companies have entered Russia with their goods and technologies. According to Forbes, from December 2021 to February 2026, the number of companies in Russia with Chinese founders or co-founders increased tenfold.
In order to clarify the issue of confusion the court referred to the Ruling No 10 of the Supreme Court where it was stated that in order to establish infringement it is sufficient to find that there is danger of confusion and not real confusion between the trademark and the disputed designation.
Russian law has developed several legal tools for dealing with bad-faith rights holders. First, it is important to gather evidence showing how the disputed designation had been used before the claim from bad-faith rights holder was received.
Russian marketplaces are undergoing a fundamental shift to a strictly regulated digital system, while IP protection on marketplaces is evolving into a more structured framework.
