TRADEMARK APPLICATION FILING IN
Russia

As a developed and progressive nation, the Russian Federation maintains a strong framework for protecting Intellectual Property Rights. All IP related matters in Russia are overseen by Rospatent, the federal agency responsible for safeguarding rights related to inventions, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, and more.

In Russia, trademark rights are granted on a first-to-file basis, where priority is given to the earliest filed application. Every trademark must adhere to the provisions set forth in the Law of the Russian Federation on Trademarks, Service Marks, and Appellations of Origin of Goods.

The trademark registration before the Rospatent can either be filed through the online portal or via offline mode.

Multi-class applications are allowed by the Rospatent.

The requirements for filing a trademark application are as follows:

• Name, nationality, and address of the applicant;
• Mark representation (logo/device/word, etc.);
• Descriptions of goods and/or services;
• Power of Attorney *;

*POA is to be signed and submitted;

The trademark registration process in the Russian Federation starts with submitting an application to Rospatent. Applications must be filed in Russian, so accurate translation is essential. Once filed, the application first goes through a formal examination to verify that all filing requirements are met. It then proceeds to a substantive examination on absolute grounds for refusal, where examiners assess whether the trademark is eligible for registration. If any issues arise during this stage, Rospatent issues an office action or examination report, giving the applicant two to six months to respond. A refusal decision can be appealed within four months. If no objections are raised or once all concerns are resolved the application moves forward, and Rospatent will decide whether to grant or refuse the trademark registration.

There is no opposition procedure followed by Rospatent, but it allows the third party to put forward their objections through written submission via Rospatent while the application is under review.

A trademark registration in the Russian Federation is valid for a period of ten years. The trademark must be renewed before the end of six months of the current term to maintain protection for an additional ten years.

However, if the renewal is not submitted on time, it can still be processed within six months after the expiration date with a surcharge.

A registered trademark must be actively used within three years of its registration. If the trademark is not used continuously during this period, it may be subject to cancellation following a request from a third party.

Typically, the trademark registration process in the Russian Federation takes twelve to fourteen months in straightforward cases.

The Russian Federation is considered to be the 31ˢᵗ largest science and technology cluster in the year 2024. According to the Global Innovation Index of 2024, the Russian Federation has positioned itself in 14th place in trademarks by origin. The Russian Federation maintains its position at 3rd place in trademark filings. Also, as per the statistics from the World Intellectual Property Organization, an increase of 30.1% was observed in trademark filings in Russia. As per 2013 WIPO stats, approximately 861,148 trademark applications are in force in the Russian Federation.