Regional Brands: Promoting Local Products

On 26 November, the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS) held a meeting with members of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR) and representatives of regional businesses. The videoconference was dedicated to regional brands.

Ms. Anna Rogoleva, Deputy Head, Department for the Provision of State Services, Rospatent; Mr. Sergey Rengin, Head, Trademarks and Industrial Designs Division, FIPS; Mr. Alexey Sychev, Head, Sector for Examination of AOs and GIs Applications, FIPS; and Ms. Irina Samohvalova, Senior State Expert on IP, Sector for Examination of AOs and GIs Applications, FIPS, attended the meeting on behalf of the IP office. The sixty representatives of local businesses from fourteen Russian regions participated in the event.

During the meeting, Mr. Sychev noted that the term «regional brand» is not mentioned in legislation in force. He specified that this concept is understood as comprising the following IP rights (means of individualization) registered with Rospatent:

• Appellations of Origin (AOs);

• Trademarks (service marks), which elements indicate a geographical area where the goods are manufactured or the services are provided;

• Geographical Indications (GIs) — this type of IP rights was introduced to the Russian legislation by the Federal Law 230-FZ on 27 July 2020.

Ms. Samohvalova discussed the specific features of these IP rights and gave a presentation on Regional Brands as Promotional Tools for Local Products. The expert explained the features of trademark elements indicating a geographical area, differences between GIs and AOs, and details related to registration and legal protection of IP rights.

Responding to participants’ questions, Mr. Sychev and Ms. Samohavlova explained in detail the grounds for rejection of a GI and AO application, the amount of fees, and special fee reductions available for small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and scientific organizations. They also explained how to file an electronic application with Rospatent.

The meeting aimed at promoting the welfare of producers of unique domestic products and the development of local brands, which will be an important source of regional budget replenishment.

The reputation of a region is currently playing an enormous role and becoming one of the factors determining the economic, social, and investment perspective. In the context of a market economy, the desire to develop new markets and strengthen the influence on previously conquered markets forces the regional authorities to pay special attention to develop a region’s reputation. For this purpose the best tool is the so-called «regional brands», — said Mr. Sychev.

More detailed information about GIs, AOs, and ways of promoting regional brands on the Russian market can be found on the Rospatent website in the Regional Russian Brands section (currently available in Russian). This section also contains contact details of specialists who can advise on the relevant topics.