Russia to follow Belarus example and allow trademark registration for individuals

The Russian government commissioned the relevant state bodies and organizations to develop amendments to the Civil Code, which would allow the registration of trademarks for self-employed and individuals and allow them to manage these marks. This item is prescribed in the roadmap for transforming the business environment in the intellectual property field. The corresponding bill is to be submitted to the government in May 2021, it is proposed to submit it to the State Duma in the III quarter of next year.

The roadmap developers also suggested amending the Civil Code regarding the examination of applications for patents and utility models. By the III quarter of 2021, the Federation Council is to approve amendments that will allow Russian scientific and educational organizations to participate in the examination procedure. In this case, organizations will have to obtain accreditation from Rospatent. “This amendment will improve the examination quality, since it will involve specialists in specific areas of science and technology,” the roadmap says.

“The upcoming legislative amendments are a prospect for a completely different level of intellectual property management in Russia,” said Grigory Ivliev, Head of Rospatent. “Intellectual property is the most important intangible asset today,” he stated. “It allows you not only to protect your rights in a highly competitive environment, but also to enhance your own reputation and inspire consumer confidence in the goods and services produced”.

Based on the materials from " Vedomosti.ru"