Russia has appropriated the Ukrainian brand "Melitopol Cherry", which was reported by the Russian news agency TASS.
On July 12, Rospatent, the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, announced that "Melitopol Cherry" had become the first regional brand from the new territories Russia claims to have integrated.
Rospatent stated that from this day forward, occupied Ukrainian regions, which Russia considers, as part of its territory, can register intellectual property. The "Melitopol Cherry" brand is the first of such registrations. Rospatent head Yuri Zubov emphasized that this is just the beginning and that Russia plans to continue appropriating Ukrainian geographical brands.
"We invite producers of goods and services in the new regions to register their brands. Rospatent will provide all the necessary support," Zubov stated.
The "Melitopol Cherry" brand was officially recognized as a geographical indication in Ukraine long before this recent development. The application for its registration was submitted in December 2019 by the public union "Association of Melitopol Cherry Producers," and it received official status in Ukraine in 2020.
Source: epravda.com.ua