Intellectual Property Club Holds Meeting on the Protection of Foreign Trademark Owners in Russia

On 24 June, the Intellectual Property Club, "Intellectual Property: Mine or Someone Else's?", held a meeting devoted to the topic "Protection of Foreign Trademark Owners in the Russian Intellectual Property Market."The event brought together legal practitioners, academics, Master's and PhD students, as well as undergraduate students. During the discussion, participants examined the legal framework governing trademarks owned by foreign right holders conducting business in the Russian Federation. Particular attention was paid to current approaches and emerging trends in protecting the rights of foreign trademark owners under the present legal and economic conditions. The meeting concluded with a discussion of possible approaches to safeguarding the legal status of trademarks owned by entities based in countries designated by Russia as "unfriendly states" while continuing to conduct business in the Russian market.

The meeting was organized by the HSE School of Private Law under the leadership of Valentina Sinelnikova, Doctor of Law, Professor at the HSE School of Private Law, and member of the Scientific Advisory Councils of the Intellectual Property Court and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

The session was moderated by Olga Tristan, Managing Partner at TGP-Partners, who also delivered the keynote presentation. Drawing on her experience in a landmark case concerning the protection of foreign right holders, in which she successfully argued before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation for a review of the case, she addressed not only the legal and procedural aspects of such disputes but also a number of ethical issues that are rarely discussed publicly, including judicial recusal.

Ms. Tristan actively participated in the broader discussion of practical challenges related to protecting the rights and interests of foreign intellectual property owners and invited Club members to share their views on several issues that are currently of practical importance in ongoing litigation.

The discussion also featured valuable contributions from Alexander Dryagin, attorney-at-law, member of the Moscow Bar Association and Counsel at BKMP LEGAL, who has extensive experience in proceedings before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, and Ekaterina Spirina, a practicing lawyer specializing in intellectual property law.

The meeting provided participants with an opportunity to receive expert answers to their questions and exchange ideas and perspectives on the issues discussed.

Professional photographs from the event, taken by Andrey Pekov, are available here.