On October 12, 2017, Elena Berger, Senior Associate of Intellectual Property practice spoke at the SPIBA discussion “Use of Intellectual Property Objects in Marketing Activities.” Elena also moderated the discussion, which was very lively due to relevance of the issues covered.

Music, images, slogans, logos, etc. can become intellectual property objects. Their use without consent of the copyright holder may lead to liability. How does legislation regulate protection of rights of trademark owners and what difficulties do owners face after they discover that their rights were violated?

Are there any possible ways to use trademarks of copyright holders without their permission? Yes, there are. This was the subject of Elena’s presentation in which she described possible ways to use them lawfully, citing specific cases and lawsuits. In particular, the following practical issues were discussed: the use of trademarks for advertising the services and goods of unofficial suppliers, the use of trademarks for information purposes and unfair competition in using trademarks.