Russia - Trademark Law – Use of Russian on signage

As of March 1, 2026, an amendment to the Russian consumer protection law has come into force, according to which all "public information", i.e. all information intended "for the public information of consumers" and provided by the producer or seller in publicly accessible places or in a publicly accessible format, i.e., for example, on signs, in outdoor areas, or in the media, must be in Russian. An exception is made only for company names, registered trademarks, and other badges of origin. These are still permitted to be used in a foreign language ONLY. All other information must be at least bilingual.

So far this requirement existed only for certain information relating to goods and services, such as, e.g., information on the producer and on the properties of the products, which had to be given in Russian.

As of March 1, 2026, this provision in the consumer protection law was further tightened by the introduction of a further category of information that now also has to be provided in Russian. This is so-called "public information", which is defined as all information intended "for the public information of consumers", i.e. information provided by the producer or seller in publicly accessible places or in a publicly accessible format, i.e., for example, on signs, in outdoor areas, or in the media. This information may, however, be additionally provided in other languages. An exception is made for company names, registered trademarks and other badges of origin.

It is therefore recommended to obtain a trademark registration for slogans or other terms that are not intended to be used in Russian, since a further tightening of the law cannot be excluded, but registered trademarks and similar badges of origin have so far always been excluded from such provisions.