Finland confirmed the arrest of trademarks of Russian companies

The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) confirmed the position of Rospatent that the trademarks of Russian companies subject to EU sanctions remain the property of their copyright holders, but they are seized. This was reported by the press service of Rospatent, which previously requested clarification from the Finnish side.

The response received states that the trademarks of a number of Russian companies were seized due to restrictions imposed by the EU.

“The seized trademark continues to be valid in Finland and remains the property of its owner, but the latter cannot dispose of this right, for example, sell or license the trademark,” the report says.

Earlier, Finnish media reported that the country’s debt collection department allegedly confiscated over 40 trademarks, in particular of Sberbank, the Kalashnikov arms group, and others. Rospatent November 2 denied this information.

In January, Finland froze Russian assets worth 187 million euros as part of EU sanctions, which included more than 1,300 Russian citizens. Then the most famous Russian businessman in the republic who came under restrictions was named by Yle as Gennady Timchenko, who is one of the owners of the Helsinki-halli arena in the country. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen previously admitted that ordinary Russians are also suffering from Western sanctions. Her Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov called such a statement “absolutely boorish.”