The authorities of the Russian Federation are developing a mechanism of “external temporary management” for patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property of foreign companies from so-called “unfriendly” countries, reports the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service.
Source: Gazeta.UA
Specifically, the new mechanism would allow Russian manufacturers to be granted licenses to use the brands and technologies of foreign companies without their consent. Major corporations such as IKEA and Apple could be targeted. International lawyers describe this as institutionalized intellectual property theft.
Russia is already applying compulsory patent licensing through the courts, mainly in the pharmaceutical sector, under the WTO TRIPS agreement. The new plan significantly expands these powers, creating a form of “management” that will control the use of foreign companies’ technologies and brands on Russian territory.
The Foreign Intelligence Service notes that no similar mechanism exists in global practice, as no country participating in the global economy implements such a model due to its catastrophic impact on the investment climate. Kremlin logic may be a “symmetrical response” to the freezing of Russian assets in the West.
Experts warn that if the mechanism is implemented, foreign companies are unlikely to return to the Russian market, as any company could lose control over its brand at any moment. The Foreign Intelligence Service concludes: “No serious player will enter a market where the state can appoint a ‘manager’ of their trademark at any time.”
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