Trademark trends 2024: Navigating growth, strategy, and emerging challenges in Russia

This article analyzes the official trademark statistics released by Rospatent and the Intellectual Property Court (IP Court) for 2024, highlighting key trends that shape trademark protection in Russia. The data reveals notable increases in national filings, re-filing strategies by foreign rights holders, and a rise in cancellation and bad faith filing activity—developments that continue into 2025 and require close attention from trademark owners.

Overall growth in trademark filings

In 2024, the total number of trademark applications in Russia reached 158,637, marking a 10.79% increase compared to 2023 and a 41.59% increase from 2022. This reflects 15,445 more applications year-on-year and indicates sustained interest in trademark protection despite the complex economic and geopolitical conditions.

Domestic applicants and the rise of bad-faith filings

Applications from Russian applicants rose by 11.74%. While this growth is partly attributed to a strong entrepreneurial climate and business development in key regions (notably Moscow, Moscow Region, and St. Petersburg), it is also driven by an increased number of bad-faith filings. In particular, trademark trolls have been actively filing applications for well-known foreign marks in their own names, especially in cases where the original rights holders have withdrawn or reduced their operations in Russia.

A significant portion of these applications do not proceed beyond formal examination, as the applicants frequently fail to pay the required official fees. This is a leading cause of the 31.42% increase in decisions to reject or withdraw applications at the formal stage in 2024. Such activity not only distorts the trademark register but also creates enforcement risks for legitimate brand owners.

Foreign applicants: Re-filings as a strategic necessity

Applications filed by foreign applicants through the national procedure grew by 19.57%, reaching 11.829 applications, the highest level in the past five years. The upward trend indicates that many foreign rights holders are using re-filing as a tool to ensure continued trademark protection in Russia. The top foreign filers by country in 2024 were:

1. China
2. United States
3. South Korea
4. France
5. Switzerland
6. Turkey
7. Italy
8. Germany
9. Japan
10. United Arab Emirates
11. United Kingdom

This ranking reflects the continued commercial interest of global brands in the Russian IP system, even amid the challenging geopolitical dynamics. Many of these applicants are engaging in strategic re-filings to avoid cancellation of existing rights due to non-use and to preserve enforcement capabilities in the long term.

This trend is intensifying in 2025, as more foreign brand owners adopt portfolio maintenance and defensive filing strategies in response to the growing legal risks posed by inactivity, non-use, and opportunistic filings.

Increase in non-use cancellation actions

The number of cancellation actions due to non-use increased from 442 in 2023 to 543 in 2024, representing a 22.9% rise. This trend reflects the growing reliance on non-use claims as a legal and commercial tactic, particularly by local entities seeking to capitalize on the gaps left by foreign rights holders who have withdrawn or significantly reduced their presence in Russia.

Local businesses are increasingly filing non-use cancellation actions against trademarks owned by foreign companies that are no longer actively operating in the Russian market. In many cases, the goal is to clear the register of unused marks and then attempt to register or use the same or similar brands themselves, taking advantage of the legal vulnerability created by the lack of active use.

This practice poses significant risks to international brands, particularly those that have suspended commercial operations but wish to maintain their intellectual property rights. It also underscores the importance of proactive rights management, including strategic re-filing, maintaining evidence of use, and implementing defensive enforcement measures.

The continuation of this trend into 2025 emphasizes the importance for foreign trademark holders to closely monitor the status of their marks, assess ongoing use requirements, and respond swiftly to any legal threats targeting their portfolios.

Examination timelines and application outcomes

Despite the increase in filings, Rospatent maintained efficient examination timelines. The average duration of substantive examination was 4.4 months, with the first office actions issued on average 4.2 months after commencement.

In 2024, 117,476 decisions were issued at the examination stage—more than in 2023 and 2022. Rejections declined by 3.55%, while withdrawals increased by 15.37%, often due to errors in the goods and services specification or failure to follow through on applications.

Recognition of well-known marks

In 2024, 17 applications were reviewed for recognition as well-known marks, with seven approved, including six owned by Russian companies and one by a foreign right holder. This reflects the continued importance of elevated protection for high-profile brands.

Key takeaways for 2025 and beyond

The early data from 2025 confirms that the trends observed in 2024 are continuing, namely:

• Re-filings by foreign trademark holders are increasing as a strategy to preserve rights and mitigate non-use risks.
• Cancellation actions for non-use continue to rise.
• Bad faith and opportunistic filings are on the rise, particularly involving foreign marks.

These developments highlight the urgent need for foreign rights holders to adopt a proactive trademark strategy in Russia. This includes regular portfolio audits, timely re-filings, close monitoring of the trademark register, and swift action against bad-faith applications.

Summary and key insights

The trademark landscape in Russia is evolving rapidly, with growing complexity and legal risk. While Rospatent has sustained operational efficiency, rights holders, particularly foreign entities, must remain vigilant and adaptive. The increase in re-filings, cancellations, and bad-faith filings underscores the importance of active portfolio management and legal oversight to safeguard brand assets in this challenging environment.

Notably, the statistical data and current market conditions indicate that, despite the geopolitical tensions, Russia remains an active and commercially relevant market for many international brands. The protection of intellectual property rights is not subject to sanctions, and both Rospatent and the Russian courts continue to function in accordance with the applicable law and international treaty obligations.

This legal framework allows foreign trademark owners to continue registering, renewing, and enforcing their rights in Russia.