Articles and Publications

Marina Fotyakhetdinova, Trademark Attorney at Gorodissky & Partners, explains recent legislative changes that are reshaping the online advertising market, emphasizing the importance of trademark use and compliance with new regulatory requirements.

In the absence of comprehensive regulation of marketplaces, several bills are being worked on in Russia. In March 2024, a bill “On state regulation of trade activities of aggregators of information about goods in the Russian Federation” and on amendments to the Federal Law “On the fundamentals of state regulation of trade activities in the Russian Federation” was submitted to the lower house of parliament. The new regulations are supposed to apply not only to platforms, but also to sellers and operators of delivery points.

Evgeny Alexandrov, Ph.D and Viacheslav Rybchak of Gorodissky & Partners provide an overview of the newly established Eurasian design protection system under the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs, highlighting its benefits, patentability criteria, filing requirements, and examination process.

Entrepreneur Artashes Ikonomov filed and obtained patent No. 141791 in 2013 for a cell phone with an “Emergency Call — SOS” function. Several years later, in 2019, he sued Apple for infringing his patent (Case No. 2-20/2020). In response, Apple attempted to cancel Ikonomov’s patent at the Chamber of Patent Disputes, arguing that it did not meet the requirement of novelty but failed, leaving the patent in force. Finally, a case lasting more than five years may have come to an end, though it is still possible that the judgment may be appealed two months after the judgment date.

Anna Degtyareva of Gorodissky & Partners examines the evolving landscape of parallel imports in Russia, detailing the government’s temporary allowances for select goods amid ongoing sanctions while reinforcing that parallel imports remain largely illegal.