Registering personal names as trademarks in Russia

Victoria: Hello. I'm Victoria Sukhanova, a trademark attorney at the Gowling WLG Moscow office and my newest article examines registration of personal names as trademarks in Russia. Tying your own name to your business is a time honoured tradition and it's very common for service industries. For example, the use of a personal name creates a special bond between a consumer and a product or service. The use of surname takes away anonymity a business. Clients gain confidence in a quality of an organization's work because the owners are not afraid to put their own names on their businesses. For an entrepreneur, adding his name to his business is also a way to distinguish its own business from similar ones and it can help to protect your brand from dilution. If you are doing business in Russia, registering your personal name as a trademark can take a lot of work. In this article I look at what difficulties you may face and how to overcome them. I examine the law and how a common surname can be granted legal protection in Russia. What about first name/last name combinations? What about registration of names of famous people or what if an entrepreneur has the same as a famous person? I examine it all and look at how applicants are trying to get unfair benefits or attract attention to their activities. Registering a surname or name in Russia can be challenging but once obtained this registration will deliver meaningful advantages and a brand value and my article will help to get to know more about it.