Well-known Trademark
A well-known trademark is a type of trademark that enjoys legal protection with no time limit as opposed to a trademark registration which is only valid for 10 years at a time. This type of trademark must be known to the vast majority of Russian consumers and must be widely used.
What is a Well-known Trademark
In Russia, a trademark may be recognized as well-known if the following requirements are fulfilled:
- the trademark must have acquired fame and reputation through long term use
- the product with the trademark must be sold everywhere on the Russian market
- marketing expenses must be very high
Well-known Trademark Registration Service
If you want your trademark to be recognized as well-known you need to file an application with Rospatent. The application will be examined by Rospatent expert committee that will decide if the trademark or symbol used as the trademark can be recognized as well-known in the Russian Federation.
Zuykov and partners has a vast experience in well-known trade mark recognition. To name a few: We obtained recognition as well-known trademark on behalf of our clients of VITEK (certificate # 88), ETALON (certificate # 90) and VDNKh (certificate # 153)
Large companies, owners of famous trademarks, strive to secure the status of a «well-known trademark». The protection regime for these designations has a number of advantages such as the absence of restrictions on the duration period and the expansion of the scope of protection to all types of goods, if the use of a different designation can lead to misleading consumers. To transform a trademark into a well-known one, the object of protection is required to be known and recognized among a wide range of consumers, as well as the reputation of the company and the goods sold. The manufacturer's products should be associated with this trademark among buyers. The decision to change and consolidate the status of «well-known» is taken by Rospatent at the request of the right holder and after checking the evidence provided that the designation is widely known.