Trademark Registration: Official Fees, Costs and Financial Considerations

In the fall of 2025, Rospatent changed the procedure for paying a number of patent fees, including those related to the registration of a trademark.

Trademark Search: Assessing the Prospects of Registration

In order to reduce the risks, it is advisable to conduct a search for the selected designation in relation to the classes of the Nice Classification of interest before filing an application. We conduct two types of searches: verbal and figurative, respectively, depending on the type of mark; we offer specific types of searches. If the designation is multi-component, i.e., contains unrelated word elements or several separate figurative elements, we may recommend conducting more than one word/figurative search in order to check each element separately and understand the practice of registration of such elements.

At the same time, we would like to note that the search is a preliminary examination of the designation by analogy with the one that is carried out in relation to the filed application by the Rospatent examiner. As part of the search, we check the designation for the presence/absence of absolute and relative grounds for refusal to register the trademark, and check the information about the designation on the Internet. Based on the results of the search, we send a report that contains all the identified information and possible options for action in case of possible obstacles to the registration of the trademark. Based on the results of the search, the client decides on further filing of the application. If the search results reveal significant risks, the client can modify the designation in order to avoid similarity with the identified earlier marks or applications. If the refinement of the mark is significant, we will recommend another search.

From a financial point of view, conducting a pre-filing search helps to save money spent at the application stage, including the Rospatent fee, if a notification is issued based on the results of the examination, which can be very problematic and require additional costs to overcome.

Trademark Application: How Official Fees Are Calculated

The procedure for registering a trademark in Russia begins with filing an application with Rospatent. Currently, the amount of the fee for filing and considering an application depends on the number of classes of the Nice Classification and the number of items in each class. In connection with this circumstance, applicants are more conscious when choosing a list for filing an application, because earlier practice showed a huge number of registrations in relation to complete lists, which could significantly limit the rights of third parties.

The filing fee is calculated as follows: 17,000 rubles for one class (up to 10 positions in a class) + 3,500 rubles for each subsequent class (up to 10 positions in a class) + 500 rubles for each position over 10 in each class.

The choice of the list for the application further affects the renewal process from a financial point of view. Thus, the calculation of the renewal fee is as follows: 22,000 rubles (up to 5 classes) + 2,000 rubles for each subsequent class over 5 + 500 rubles for each position over 10 in each class.

Accordingly, marks that are renewed after October 2025 mostly contain complete lists of goods and services. Right holders are actively reducing the lists at the same time as the renewal of marks in order to reduce the renewal fee.

Rospatent Examination: Main Stages and Timeframes

After filing, the application goes through the stages of formal examination and examination of the claimed designation.

According to Article 1498 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, "A formal examination of a trademark application shall be carried out within a month from the date of its submission to the Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property. In the course of the formal examination of a trademark application, the availability of the necessary application documents and their compliance with the established requirements shall be checked. Based on the results of the formal examination, the application shall be accepted for consideration, or a decision shall be made to refuse to accept it for consideration. The Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property shall notify the applicant of the results of the formal examination. Simultaneously with the notification of the positive result of the formal examination of the application, the applicant shall be informed of the date of filing the application."

After the completion of the formal examination, the examination of the claimed designation begins. According to Article 1499 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, "In the course of the examination, the compliance of the claimed designation with the requirements of the law shall be checked. Based on the results of the examination of the claimed designation, the Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property shall make a decision on the state registration of the trademark or on the refusal to register it."

Examination of the claimed designation is the most important stage of the registration procedure, during which the Rospatent examiner checks the application for the presence or absence of absolute and/or relative grounds for refusal to register a trademark; these grounds are set out in Article 1483 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

The standard examination period is 8-10 months from the date of filing the application. Acceleration allows you to reduce the examination period to 2-3 months. At the same time, acceleration reduces the examination period, but does not affect its result. The Rospatent tariff for acceleration depends on the type of trademark: for a verbal or figurative mark - 104,000 rubles, for a combined mark - 208,000 rubles.

Trademark Registration and Certificate Issuance: Final Fees

Based on the results of the examination of the claimed designation, Rospatent makes either a decision on registration or a notification. Making a decision on registration means a positive decision made on the application by the examiner. In this case, the final stage of the registration procedure remains: payment of the registration fee, registration of the mark, and issuance of the certificate.

The fee for registration and obtaining a certificate is calculated as follows: 18,000 rubles (electronic certificate, up to 5 classes) or 21,000 rubles (paper certificate, up to 5 classes) + 2,000 rubles for each subsequent class over 5.

Issuance of a notification on the application means the presence of obstacles to the registration of the trademark, which were identified by the examiner. The deadline for responding to the notification is 6 months from the date of its issuance. During this period, the applicant can take actions to overcome the arguments of the examination. Possible options for action may be: responses to notifications with arguments about the dissimilarity or heterogeneity of goods/services; negotiations on obtaining letters of consent from the owners of opposing marks; making changes to the claimed list. However, the decision to accept or not accept the arguments given in the response remains at the discretion of the examiner.

Engaging a patent attorney to assist with trademark registration helps develop an effective strategy tailored to the specific circumstances of the case, with the ultimate goal of securing registration. It is equally important to carefully assess the risks identified by the attorney and take appropriate steps to address them, making the registration process as smooth and predictable as possible.

Complex, multi-stage cases are also an area of our strength. Zuykov & Partners has extensive experience in handling challenging trademark registration matters and developing strategic solutions aimed at achieving the client's objectives.