Patent Protection in Russia: Implications of USPTO Actions and U.S. Sanctions for Safeguarding IP Rights

Description

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on several Russian entities, some of which affect U.S. companies with patent holdings and applications in Russia. For example, payments to Russia's patent and trademark office are or will be forbidden by U.S. sanctions. The same applies in some respects to the Eurasian Patent Organization, which is also based in Russia. This not only impacts patent applications but also annual maintenance fee payments on granted Russian patents. Paying these fees would violate the sanctions, but not paying them would result in the patents expiring.

Russia's response to sanctions has been to punish U.S companies and those from other "unfriendly nations." Several developments from the Russian courts and government have apparently decimated the value of foreign IP in Russia, leaving U.S. companies holding patent portfolios in Russia scrambling to find a way to minimize the risk of infringement.

Listen as our authoritative panel of patent attorneys examines the implications of the recent U.S sanctions on Russia for patent owners and applicants. The panel will also address the steps that Russia has taken in response and what they mean for U.S. companies holding patents in Russia. Finally, the panel will discuss what U.S. companies might do to protect their patents and minimize the risk of infringement.