Pre-rights: companies from the USA are massively registering trademarks in the Russian Federation

Three large American companies have registered their trademarks in Russia over the past month. Among them are the oilfield service company SLB (formerly Schlumberger), whiskey makers Maker's Mark Distillery and Security Equipment Corporation. European companies such as the German clothing manufacturer Hugo Boss, Puma, Prada, L'Oreal and others are not far behind their American counterparts. By protecting their copyrights, companies occupy niches in a promising market, but they will return to it only after the lifting of sanctions, experts say.

Foreign companies register trademarks in the Russian Federation

American businesses continue to register their trademarks in Russia en masse. In particular, in April, a large oilfield services company SLB (formerly Schlumberger) did this, Izvestia found out after reviewing its cards at Rospatent. According to the document, three trademarks were issued to its Russian subsidiary, Schlumberger Technology Company LLC: Orchestra, Orchestra and REA. It is planned to drill oil and gas wells, geological exploration and other work on oil fields under them. The exclusive rights are valid until 2033.

Photo: Global Look Press/Fabian Strauch

Schlumberger, which changed its name to SLB in October 2022, began reducing its operations in Russia after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, and in 2023 announced the cessation of supplies of products and technologies from all its enterprises due to the tightening of sanctions. At the same time, she was trying to obtain a Russian patent for a sensor system that is used in the use of hydraulic fracturing technology. However, in August 2022, she was denied the right to register a patent. The company filed objections to this decision, but in the fall of 2024, Rospatent confirmed its decision, stating that "the claimed group of inventions does not meet the condition of patentability "novelty", based on which, the claimed group of inventions cannot be granted legal protection."

As Izvestia found out, other companies that registered their copyrights in the Russian Federation in April 2025 include American whiskey producer Maker's Mark Distillery, headquartered in Kentucky, and Security Equipment Corporation, a manufacturer of security devices from Texas. Both have copyrights registered until 2034.

European companies are not lagging behind their American counterparts. Among the well-known brands that patented copyrights in April was the German clothing manufacturer Hugo Boss. The company has registered the BOSS trademark until 2034. In addition, individual trademarks have also been registered by Puma until 2034, L'Oreal until 2033, and Prada until 2034.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Konkov

Izvestia sent requests to the company with a request to comment on the decisions on trademark registration, as well as to Rospatent.

Earlier, Izvestia reported that in recent months such companies as Intel, Microsoft, LG, Chanel, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Kia, Hyundai and IKEA have already received registration of their trademarks in the Russian Federation. Applications for their registration were also submitted by Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Chanel, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nissan, Disney, Universal, Procter & Gamble, Pepsi, Moët Hennessy and others. At the same time, the brands themselves do not publicly declare either the registration of trademarks or the return to work in the Russian Federation.

Preparing for the lifting of sanctions

It is no coincidence that Rospatent approved the applications of the Russian subsidiary of the American company SLB for the registration of new trademarks, said Alina Akinshina, CEO of Online Patent.

— Like many other major international brands, SLB closely monitors the market situation. Ahead of its main competitors, such as Baker Hughes and Halliburton, which have not yet applied, SLB uses the opportunity to occupy an open niche and strengthen its position in the country, the expert believes.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Kirill Kallinikov

This opinion is shared by Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University and the National Energy Security Fund.

— SLB has remained de facto in the Russian Federation, although they do not carry out all operations that have been sanctioned, for example, they do not supply technologies and some equipment. They understand that if any sanctions against Russia are frozen, they need to have time to stake out a place for themselves and return and take it as soon as possible," the expert explained.

According to him, SLB now wants to consolidate its position, so the company has started preparatory work, which costs it nothing, and is waiting for some kind of go-ahead.

Georgy Ostapkovich, Director of the HSE Center for Economic Studies, is convinced that foreign companies are protecting their rights by registering trademarks in the Russian Federation, and these actions are a good sign for the Russian economy. This means that they consider the Russian market promising and admit the possibility of returning. At the same time, according to the expert, this can happen only after the lifting of sanctions.