Fighting Counterfeit

What is Counterfeit?

Counterfeit products are often manufactured in other countries where there are more favorable conditions for the unfair manufacturers than in Russia. For example there might be cheaper labor power, lower rental payments for the premises, less transparent taxation system and a bigger number of production facilities. As a rule the counterfeit products are meant for the sales in the domestic market. All labels and packages contain information in Russian.

After the products are manufactured with the illegally used trademark they are sent to the border of Russia. If your trademark is enrolled to the Customs Intellectual Property Register (the register of the intellectual property objects maintained by the Federal Customs Service of the RF) then the customs control officers can stop import of the counterfeit products.

Enrollment of a trademark to the Customs Intellectual Property Register (the register of the intellectual property objects maintained by the Federal Customs Service of the RF) is an effective way of fighting counterfeit.

This registration makes it possible to:

Protect you from unfair competition
Protect you and your consumers from unauthorized entry of poor quality counterfeit to the market
Identify pirates
Estimate the actual volume of counterfeit products import
Prevent loss of profit and decrease in sales of own goods
Consolidate own position in the market

Besides you can add other intellectual property objects to the Customs Intellectual Property Register. For example:

Name of place of origin of goods
Copyright objects
Neighboring rights objects

After your intellectual property object is added to the Customs Intellectual Property Register the information about this intellectual property object and trademark holder is forwarded to the regional customs offices that constantly control the goods movement. If customs officers find counterfeit products, they cease passing such goods through customs and inform the trademark holder about such cease, its reasons and terms, and provide trademark holder with the information about the infringer. Upon written request of the trademark holder the term of cease of passing goods through customs can be extended if the trademark holder proves the fact of infringement and initiates the procedure of defense of his exclusive rights.

Services of the registration in the Customs Intellectual Property Register

The services of the registration in the Customs Intellectual Property Register include the following:

Preparation of the application to the Federal Customs Service
Definition of goods codes in accordance with the TNVED (Customs Commodity Code) of Russia
Collection of all the documents necessary for the registration in the Customs Intellectual Property Register
Receipt of the Decision on the registration in the Customs Intellectual Property Register

If you have already identified a counterfeit in the market, we are ready to protect your rights in administrative and court proceedings.