MOSCOW
\nWestern companies with iconic brands like Coca-Cola that exit Russia face years of battling knockoffs and unauthorized imports clamoring to fill the void they leave behind, a risky bid as courts show little sympathy for firms that depart.
\nCompanies pulled back from Russia this spring after Moscow sent thousands of troops into Ukraine, in response to investor and public pressure. Some, like Coca-Cola Co (KO.N), finalized their exit in August after five months, while others such as McDonald\u2019s Corp (MCD.N) sold their businesses. Some including Procter & Gamble Co (PG.N) partially remained, selling essentials.
\nThey are defending their trademarks to protect their brands from losing value, and in case they ever return to the country, intellectual property lawyers said. But they face a sea of opportunists, importers and flip-flopping court rulings.
\nCoca-Cola, first available in the Soviet Union in 1979, is already ensnared in fights against grey-market goods, which are unauthorized imports, and Russian knockoffs of its fruit-infused Fanta line, according to court documents and interviews with attorneys involved.
\nOther companies\u2019 battles are just beginning as Russian entrepreneurs aim to capitalize on their well-known names as they depart.
\nRospatent, the Russian government\u2019s intellectual property agency, is receiving an influx of applications for trademarks of Western brands popular in the country, said Robert Reading, head of content strategy in the intellectual property group at analytics firm Clarivate Plc , which tracks the filings.
\nIn usual times, governments reject applications for trademarks that are identical or very similar to existing brands, intellectual property experts said.
\nBut the Russian government this spring adopted a decree allowing businesses to use patents from countries deemed \u201cunfriendly,\u201d such as the United States and United Kingdom, without paying the owner of the intellectual property, putting Western brands on the defensive.
\nRussia also now permits \u201cparallel imports,\u201d or grey-market items, for products spanning from Carefree feminine products to any brand of footwear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MOSCOW Western companies with iconic brands like Coca-Cola that exit Russia face years of battling knockoffs and unauthorized imports clamoring to fill the void they leave behind, a risky bid as courts show little sympathy for firms that depart. Companies pulled back from Russia this spring after Moscow sent thousands of troops into Ukraine, in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-277930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n