In 2024, Russia is experiencing an increase in litigation related to intellectual property infringement. The total number of such cases increased by 5%, but disputes over copyright and related rights increased by more than 30%. This was reported to journalists by industry experts.
Lawyers attribute this trend to an increase in the number of copyrighted works, especially in the field of domestic software, as well as frequent cases of illegal use of visual content.
According to data from the EBR law firm, 55.1 thousand lawsuits related to the protection of intellectual property were registered in 2024. Most of the cases concerned the protection of exclusive rights. Their number increased by 6% and amounted to 46.3 thousand. The number of cases on copyright and related rights increased by 35%, reaching 28.8 thousand. Disputes over patent rights decreased by 8%, and cases on trademarks - by 6%.
The decrease in the number of disputes over trademarks is due to an increase in state fees. Now it has become more difficult for small entrepreneurs filing lawsuits due to the increase in fees. If earlier it was necessary to pay 23 thousand rubles of state duty for a claim of 1 million rubles, then from September 2024 this amount increased to 55 thousand rubles. Fees for appealing decisions in appellate and cassation instances have also increased.
Experts from the RTM Group consulting company confirm that the increase in copyright lawsuits is due to an increase in the number of copyrighted works. Over the past two years, the number of software registrations in the unified register of the Ministry of Digital Development has increased by approximately 27%. The reason is the increase in cases of illegal use of visual content, especially on marketplaces, where unscrupulous sellers copy infographics and photos from other people's product cards.
In 2025, an increase in cases of early termination of legal protection of trademarks due to their non-use is expected. Rights holders will have to prove the use of the trademark in the last three years, which may be difficult, given that many foreign companies have left the market.
Thus, Russia is experiencing an increase in copyright litigation, which is associated with an increase in intellectual property and problems with illegal use of content. This creates new challenges for business and rights holders.
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