Faced with sanctions from western countries over the invasion of Ukraine, Russia recently made a change in the law that allows it to steal intellectual property.
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In early March, the UK subsidiary of Entertainment One lost its lawsuit against a Russian media outlet for using a fake version of the cartoon character Peppa Pig. However, the Russian media used his image without paying for the intellectual property rights, reports The Economist.
This decision was made possible by a legal trick following an amendment to the Russian Civil Code. Decree no. 299 thus allows the use of patented inventions, including in medicine and digital technology, originating from “enemy countries” without obtaining the owner’s authorization or paying compensation.
Although the UK is not directly involved in the fighting in Ukraine against Russia, it falls into this category due to its involvement in monetary sanctions against Moscow and its supply of arms to Ukraine.
From the point of view of international law, this change is legal, since countries are allowed to make exceptions to patent rules in the event of a national emergency.
Although in theory the law only applies to patents protecting inventions, it indirectly allows other types of intellectual property infringement, such as B. the ones against the character.
In the last two weeks of March alone, more than 50 registration applications were filed for western brands such as Coca-Cola and Christian Dior.