Coca-Cola Quietly Seeks Trademark Renewal in Russia Amid Ongoing War and Previous Brand Withdrawal

The Coca-Cola Company, which suspended operations in Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has filed new trademark applications in the country.

According to Meduza, citing Russian newspaper Vedomosti, The Coca-Cola Company submitted three separate applications for trademark registration with Russia’s Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) in April 2024. The applications cover the company’s core brands: Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta.

According to Russian law, trademarks could be terminated if they are not used for three years. Taking into account the fact that the Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta brands were withdrawn from the market in 2022, their legal protection may be terminated early in 2025. Trademark expert Alina Akinshina, suggests Coca-Cola’s filings may be a way to maintain legal protection for their brands in Russia.

Coca-Cola’s trademark filing in Russia is not an isolated case. Vedomosti newspaper reports that other international companies that suspended operations in Russia have also filed trademarks recently. For example, Starbucks submitted eight applications to Russia’s intellectual property office in May.

Coca-Cola, like many other large international companies, announced its withdrawal from the Russian Federation after the start of a full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine. Some companies managed to sell their Russian assets, whereas in some cases, the deal included the possibility of a buyback. A number of companies have refused to invest in Russian divisions or have reduced the range of products supplied to the Russian market.

While Coca-Cola officially stopped selling its core brands (Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta) in Russia, these drinks are still available through independent importers. These are brought in under “parallel import” schemes from other countries.

Meanwhile, the former Russian division of Coca-Cola has rebranded as Multon Partners. They’ve also launched a new product, “Dobry Cola,” which is a cola-flavored drink but with a different recipe and taste compared to the original Coca-Cola.