Author: pat

The recent changes to Russia’s intellectual property laws have made it more important than ever for foreign businesses to secure their trademarks and patents. The maximum compensation for IP violations has doubled from 5 million to 10 million RUB (≈ €110,000) per infringement, meaning the risks of operating without proper protection have never been higher.

Russia’s first-to-file system means your brand could be vulnerable to competitors or trademark squatters. We have seen cases where companies lost rights to their own brand names simply because someone registered them first, and had to fight very hard to take them back.

The situation becomes even more urgent when you consider that over one million trademarks are already registered in Russia. Without protection, you risk not just legal battles but potentially losing access to the entire EAEU market.

Registering your IP does more than just prevent legal issues — it actively helps combat counterfeiting, as Customs officials tend to check registered trademarks and have the authority to block fake goods at the border.

The process is more straightforward than many businesses realize. A smooth trademark registration in Russia typically takes 6-10 months with costs being less than €1,000. Considering the potential fines and business disruptions at stake, this is a relatively small investment for extra peace of mind.

With Russia and EAEU markets continuing to grow, especially in e-commerce and consumer goods, delaying IP protection could prove costly. The question is not whether you can afford to register your IP — it is whether you can afford not to.

Protecting your intellectual property now could save your business significant time and money in the future.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.

The Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) has demonstrated remarkable progress in the first six months of 2025, with a 20% increase in patent applications and a 13% rise in industrial design applications compared to the same period last year. According to the Eurasian Patent Office, patent grants have also surged, showing 10% growth for inventions and an impressive 50% jump for industrial designs, underscoring EAPO’s accelerating momentum as a preferred destination for IP protection.

One of EAPO’s advantages is its fast examination process, with first office actions issued in just 1.25 months on average – one of the fastest timelines among international patent systems. This efficiency gives Applicants a crucial competitive edge in securing protection for their innovations.

Key benefits of the Eurasian Patent System:

• Single patent valid in 8 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan;
• Industry-leading examination speed with first actions in 1.25 months; and
• Growing international engagement: Chinese patent holders increased patent maintenance by 22%.

A significant development is the launch of the Common Eurasian Industrial Property Register, a unified digital platform providing streamlined access to IP rights information across all member states. This “single window” system enhances transparency and simplifies IP management for Applicants.

The pharmaceutical sector continues to drive growth, with 26 new patents added to the Eurasian Pharmaceutical Register. EAPO has also certified 12 new Eurasian patent attorneys from Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Russia, enhancing accessibility for right holders.

With a 3% increase in active patents and these robust growth indicators, the Eurasian patent system is proving its value as a cost-effective, efficient gateway to protection across multiple emerging markets. For businesses looking to secure and commercialize their IP across Eurasia’s dynamic economies, EAPO offers an increasingly compelling proposition that combines broad geographic coverage with exceptional speed and simplicity.

Eurasian patent protection is becoming an essential component of global IP strategy for forward-thinking companies.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection through EAPO, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.

The Intellectual Property Court recognized that a distributor’s seizure of a foreign trademark constituted unfair competition. The case involved the company KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd, a South Korean manufacturer of heating equipment that registered the trademark “GOM Ace” in South Korea in 2005. To enter the Russian market, it signed a distribution agreement with Mr. Igor Filatov in 2008.

Unbeknownst to the Korean company, Filatov registered the “Ace” trademark No. 491279 with the same design under a controlled company and later liquidated the company, transferring the trademark rights to himself. Meanwhile, a couple of years later KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd established a subsidiary company Navien Rus in Russia and registered its own “NAVIEN ACE” trademarks No. 600685 and No. 826147.

Navien Rus actively used the trademarks on the market for some time, raising their popularity among consumers, but then Filatov demanded that the company KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd purchase the earlier “Ace” trademark from him. When the company declined, he successfully challenged both “NAVIEN ACE” trademarks before Rospatent and even filed lawsuits that resulted in several hundred million rubles compensation claims against the company KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd and its partners, blocked shipments of genuine products, and attempted to revoke Navien Rus’s equipment certifications.

KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd contested his actions in court as unfair competition and in the process unveiled numerous fraudulent actions on Filatov’s part, including forging the signature on the trademark transfer agreement from his controlled company to himself, as confirmed by expert handwriting examination.

Based on the evidence, and despite Filatov’s attempts to claim that the “Ace” mark had been created by Russian designers even earlier than the Korean company started using it, the court ruled that his actions were part of a deliberate strategy to force the company KyungDong Navien Co., Ltd out of the Russian market, constituting unfair competition under Russian law.

Patentica is grateful for the opportunity to join INTA 2025 Annual Meeting—the world’s premier intellectual property event.

It was 5 days of intensive networking, trend-watching and inspiring meetings. Our team managed to communicate with top patent attorneys and lawyers from around the world and discuss global trends in brand protection and patenting.

Beyond the sessions, the meeting offered unparalleled networking and business development opportunities, fostering collaboration among global IP experts. Especially memorable were the lively discussions on digital and AI tools in IP and also informal after-parties, where the coolest collaborations are born!

By engaging with colleagues and thought leaders, we continue to enhance our expertise and provide cutting-edge IP guidance in the Eurasian region and beyond.

We thank everyone who was with us at this powerful event! See you at INTA 2026

The Republic of Kazakhstan has officially recognized the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). This decision provides applicants from Kazakhstan with an additional option for conducting high-quality international searches in Russian, ensuring a cost-effective and efficient patenting process.

Since July 1, 2022, the EAPO has been operating as an ISA/IPEA, strengthening its role in the global patent system. To date, the EAPO has been recognized by the patent offices of eight member states of the EAPO: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This growing recognition underscores the EAPO’s expanding presence and influence in the Eurasian region.

EAPO’s strengths: expertise, extensive databases, and continuous professional development.

The EAPO stands out due to its highly qualified examiners and comprehensive search capabilities. The EAPO maintains extensive patent and non-patent literature databases, enabling thorough and reliable prior art searches. Additionally, the EAPO continuously invests in training and professional development programs for its examiners, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of patent examination practices.

Benefits for Applicants

– Cost-effective searches in Russian, reducing translation expenses;

– High-quality international searches backed by a well-established patent office.

By expanding its role as an ISA/IPEA, the EAPO reinforces its commitment to supporting innovation and streamlining the patent process for inventors and businesses in Eurasia and beyond.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection through EAPO, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.

Rospatent refused registration of the trademark “Milk Wave’s” (Russian trademark application No. 2022775326) submitted by the “Gift” company (hereinafter – the Company) on the grounds of its similarity to the existing “MilkyWay” trademark.

The application was filed for an image of a soft drink can with an original blue “Milk Wave’s” logo decorated with stars and a device element in yellow tones. The earlier trademark is an original logo of “MilkyWay” in combination of navy blue, white and red, with an image of a rocket and a little shooting star.

Disagreeing with Rospatent’s decision, the Company filed an objection, arguing that the two marks had significant differences, especially when it comes to their meaning and graphic representation. Moreover, the applicant already has a trademark with the verbal element “WAVE’S” No. 619493 with priority even earlier than the cited mark. However, Rospatent dismissed these arguments and upheld its refusal.

The Company then escalated the case to the Russian Intellectual Property Court. The court ruled in favor of Rospatent, stating that the compared trademarks exhibited similarities in sound and visual appearance, creating an overall associative impression despite certain individual differences.

In its appeal, the Company maintained that the two marks produced distinct visual and auditory effects, differing in color scheme, compositional structure, conceptual elements, word count, syllable structure, and intonation. Nevertheless, the Presidium of the Russian Intellectual Property Court (Case No. SIP-871/2024) after reviewing the case materials found no valid grounds to grant the appeal and upheld the earlier decision.

This case shows how verbal elements play the most important role in trademark comparison. If the marks are phonetically close, they are very likely to be considered confusingly similar to each other despite having some distinct graphic features.

Dear colleagues, we are pleased to announce our participation in the INTA Annual Meeting on May 17-21, 2025, which is one of the largest events for patent and trademark professionals worldwide.

As a global intellectual property firm, it is very important for us to be aware of IP practices and challenges in different jurisdictions. In turn, we are ready to share our 28-year experience and recent insights on patent and trademark protection in the Eurasian region:

• Cost-effective IP strategies for national/regional phases in Eurasian countries;
• IP Court cases and practical approaches to IP litigation;
• Trademark enforcement, cancelling and protection;
• Case law in pharma sector: patent linkage, data exclusivity, compulsory licensing, patent term extension;
• Patentability of IT and AI solutions;
• Combating counterfeiting for International companies in the region, and many more.

If you are interested to meet our delegates:

• Victor Lisovenko (Patent Attorney at pharma and chemistry, Lawyer, Co-managing Partner)
• Elena Dmitrenko (Patent and Trademark Attorney, Lawyer, Partner)
• Olga Gribanova (Head of the Trademark Department, Trademark Attorney, Partner)
• Vasiliy Bykov (Patent Attorney at chemistry and biology, Partner),

please contact us to schedule a meeting.

We are also ready to answer your questions and discuss potential collaborations at info@patentica.com.

The nation continues to break records in the realm of intellectual property. Recently, the National Institute of Intellectual Property of Kazakhstan (Qazpatent) celebrated the issuance of the 10,000th patent for a utility model.

Now, Qazpatent has announced another key achievement in Kazakhstan’s intellectual property journey—the registration of the 100,000th trademark belonging to a local entrepreneur.

This landmark registration underscores a crucial phase in the evolution of the intellectual property protection framework and signals the dynamic growth and enhancement of Kazakhstan’s business environment.

Registering a trademark is more than just a procedural step; it is a vital strategic move that safeguards a brand, enhances its value, and fosters sustainable business development.

It’s also noteworthy that the trademark registration process in Kazakhstan is continually evolving, with a strong emphasis on digital solutions that streamline and expedite the experience for entrepreneurs.

For any inquiries related to intellectual property in Kazakhstan, please feel free to contact us at info@patentica.com.

The EAPO has been actively engaging with other patent offices worldwide to establish PPH agreements, enabling applicants to leverage positive examination results from participating offices.

As of beginning 2025, the EAPO has PPH agreements or pilot programs with the following patent offices: JPO, EPO, CNIPA, KIPO and PRH as well as patent offices of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and Tajikistan.

For the completeness of information, please note that

The Eurasian Patent Organization and Office (EAPO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1995 with the aim of promoting the development and protection of intellectual property across the region, in accordance with the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC).

The Member States of the EAPO in 2025 include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The EAPO headquarters are located in Russia with the official language of the Office being Russian.

The Eurasian Patent Organisation is NON-RESIDENT OF RUSSIA, similar to the European Patent Office, whose headquarters is located in Munich, though EPO is not a German entity. The Eurasian Patent Office receives Official fees at its bank account in Armenian Bank.

How to Find the Latest News:

EAPO Website: https://www.eapo.org

and

PATENTICA Website: https://www.patentica.com

If you’re looking for specific updates, let us know, and we can guide you further!

From March 17 to 21, a delegation from the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO), together with representatives of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), has held a roving seminar in three northeastern Chinese provinces: Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang.

The EAPO delegation presented the advantages of the Eurasian patent system to Chinese patent attorneys, representatives of technology companies and universities. The seminar has received strong support from the Chinese government. The delegation has met with Ma Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of the Jilin Provincial People’s Government, and Yu Jiang, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, and also visited the Chinese automotive manufacturer FAW.

Eduard Shablin, Partner at Patentica, participated in the seminar and delivered a presentation on patentability of computer-implemented inventions under the Eurasian patent legislation. He addressed key aspects of exclusions from patentability and the assessment of the inventive step of software-based inventions.

“The number of applications filed by Chinese applicants with the EAPO has surged over the past year. In 2024, China ranked third among the most active EAPO applicants for both inventions and industrial designs. Despite their geographic proximity to EAPO member states and robust trade ties, patenting activity from China’s northeastern provinces remains relatively low. This region is a powerhouse of scientific and technological innovation, home to major centers for machinery, metallurgy, and petrochemicals, while machinery and equipment dominate China’s exports to the Eurasian countries. This makes our roving seminar in the northeast particularly important,” emphasized Mr. Shablin.

The seminar drew significant interest and media attention, with approximately 400 attendees participating in person.

Patentica’s experts regularly engage in industry conferences and seminars, ensuring they remain at the forefront of intellectual property protection trends while sharing insights with peers and clients.

The full-scale implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the ski industry is transformative. Sber has pioneered this movement by testing a new safety system at the Manzerok resort in Russia. They have developed and patented two programs aimed at enhancing safety on ski slopes.

This software utilizes complex computer vision algorithms to analyze skier behavior in real time. It learns to recognize movement patterns, assess skiing techniques, and identify potential hazards before they occur. The AI is trained on thousands of hours of skiing video footage, with high-resolution cameras along the slopes relaying data to a processing center for analysis.

The system effectively differentiates between two risky behaviors: the uncertain skiing of beginners and the overly aggressive style of experienced skiers. Tailored algorithms provide specific preventive measures for each risk group, such as recommending additional training for novices and safer routes for advanced skiers.

The innovation emphasizes a proactive approach to safety, which is crucial during peak seasons when resorts are crowded. By eliminating human error, the system offers substantial advantages, continuously monitoring the slopes without fatigue or distraction.

The pilot project at Manzerok represents the beginning of extensive AI integration in the ski industry. Cloud technology advancements may further facilitate the scalability of these safety systems, making cutting-edge technology accessible to even small ski complexes.

Thus, the integration of AI in the ski industry significantly enhances safety by proactively identifying and addressing risks.

As AI technologies continue to evolve, the demand for robust intellectual property protection becomes increasingly critical. Without adequate safeguards, innovations risk being replicated, which hampers developers’ ability to profit from their work and stifles further technological advancement.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection through EAPO, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.

In 2024, the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) saw remarkable growth, receiving 3,252 Eurasian applications for inventions and granting 2,908 patents.

There was a notable increase in the number of applications submitted directly to the EAPO, which accounted for 22% of all filings in 2024. At the same time, the number of applications filed through the national patent offices of the EAPO member countries also increased, amounting to 17% of the total number in 2024.

The United States emerged as the most active applicant, representing 29.4% of all patent applications at the EAPO. Meanwhile, China’s interest in securing Eurasian patents surged, with a 9.7% increase in patent applications and a doubling of submissions for industrial designs. As a result, China has secured its position among the top three applicants, alongside the United States and Russia.

Applications from EAPO member states also saw an 18% rise compared to 2023. The EAPO received a certificate confirming that its quality management system meets the international standard ISO 9001:2015, underscoring its commitment to world-class quality at every stage of processing Eurasian applications.

A new initiative, the Eurasian Patent Prosecution Highway Program (EA-PPH), has been developed and launched on January 1, 2025. This program involves participation from the national patent offices of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and Tajikistan, aiming to streamline patent searches and examinations while reducing costs for both offices and applicants.

The EAPO also significantly increased its output, preparing 1.5 times more examination work products as an International Search Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) compared to the previous year.

Over 93% of correspondence related to the patent process is now conducted electronically.

Looking ahead, Grigory Ivliev, the President of the Eurasian Patent Office, stated that the Eurasian Patent Office will continue to expand the range of intellectual property protections available under the Eurasian Patent System. Notably, the introduction of the Eurasian utility model will simplify patenting processes for entrepreneurs and researchers. Additionally, the registration of Eurasian trademarks will create new opportunities for companies looking to broaden their international presence.

If you have any questions or need our assistance in obtaining IP protection through EAPO, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@patentica.com.