The lawyer explained the impact of the new law on artists and their pseudonyms

On March 1, 2026, amendments to the Law on Consumer Protection came into force, obliging to post information for consumers in Russian. On March 6, Alexander Khaminsky, a lawyer and head of the Center for Law Enforcement in Moscow and the Moscow Region, told Izvestia how these changes would affect artists.

According to Khaminsky, article 10.1 of the law establishes the obligation to post public information in Russian, and also imposes restrictions on the unjustified use of foreign words in such cases. He explained that such information should now be provided in Russian.

"The law actually imposes restrictions on the unjustified use of foreign words where public information for consumers is posted. According to the legislators, the information should be understandable to everyone, including those who do not know foreign languages and the Latin alphabet," the lawyer noted.

However, the law contains exceptions, as it does not apply to brand names, trademarks, and service marks. It also does not affect advertising, where information can be posted in foreign languages, but with a predominance of Russian.

"It is clear that the adoption of a law in such an obviously lapidary style will require clarification from the executive authorities. However, it can be predicted that artists will at least have to take care of the proper translation of their pseudonyms so that they can be used along with traditional ones in foreign languages," he said.

It is expected that many artists will now register their stage names as trademarks to prevent legal problems, Khaminsky concluded.

Stronger attempts: manufacturers ask to add coffee terms to dictionaries

Starting from March 1, 2026, entrepreneurs will face fines for using foreign words.

Daria Balich, head of the legal department of the Kokoc Group, announced on February 19 that the FAS, Rospotrebnadzor and Roskomnadzor would monitor compliance with the new requirements for the use of the Russian language in public space. Fines are provided for violation of consumer rights in the design of signage under Article 14.8 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. For legal entities, they will amount from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.

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