| REN TV: Entrance — one ruble, exit — two rubles. A Moscow lawyer is registering trademarks of the world’s most famous companies to his name using gaps in Russian legislation. In order to enter the Russian market, foreign companies have to buy out their own brands. The lawyer himself thinks that this is fair. Russian authorities have taken a philosophical approach to the situation. Alexander Kolpakov, a REN TV journalist, has set out to resolve this issue. |
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| Kolpakov: | | Companies that are seeking to enter the Russian market will have to ask this man about his plans first. Sergei Zuykov has already forced several big companies to pay him in order to enter the Russian market. Now the world press is discussing his dispute with the U.S. Starbucks Corporation. Gaps in legislation have allowed a 39-year old Moscow lawyer to capture the world famous company’s trademark, a company that owns thousands of coffee shops and cafes around the world. Today he is offering the American company to buy out its own trademark. |
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| Sergei Zuykov: | | I, at least, do not regard them as pure piracy. It is not piracy at all. There was a plan, the one you were talking about when trademarks were annulled because they had not been used. This plan is covered by the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in1896. |
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| Kolpakov: | | The Moscow office of the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights admits that Zuykov is not in violation of legislation. However, the laws should be changed, if Russia really wants to enter the World Trade Organization. |
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| Olga Barannikova: | | We believe that if we introduce a notion of dishonesty to the law on trademarks, we will make a little progress toward preventing counterfeit products. It is very hard to implement, but it is possible. |
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| Kolpakov: | | Some have called Zuykov’s business an "intellectual racket." Zuykov calls himself a nurse for the market and speaks about patriotism. |
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| Zuykov: | | There is a misleading notion in Russia. Today, as a result of my business, my competitors have the registration of their trademarks very thoroughly investigated in Russia. |
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| Kolpakov: | | The case Zuykov vs. Starbucks has not yet been resolved. However, many companies have decided to buy off rather than lose time and their reputation on the Russian market. Zuykov himself says that he is beginning to leave the business and prefers to act as a consultant. The firm’s motto is "Nothing is impossible, or almost nothing." |
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| Zuykov: | | This can’t be done at all, or can be done only with big money. I often set the price for people and they decide whether they need it or not. |
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| Barannikova: | | In Russia people who have violated intellectual property rights tend to be more intelligent. They began by counterfeiting cassettes and today they register trademarks. They use any loophole in the legislation. So we need to be very attentive and respond very quickly. |
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| Kolpakov: | | Experts think that Russia is trying to enter the WTO against the background of these conflicting mentalities. And what is good for the Germans will be death for the Russians? Foreign companies are asking the Russian government for help. The government is ready to help but believes that foreigners are also to blame. |
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| Andrei Fursenko: | | It seems to me that they have also made mistakes. I believe that these companies could be more active in terms of cooperating with Rospatent when they file their claims. We are ready to provide them with support. |
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| Kolpakov: | | Sergei Zuykov is sitting in front of his computer. The computer is all he needs in his business. He started it after August 1998 when he did not succeed in selling car alarm systems. Now Sergei lives in a fabulous house in the center of Moscow and drives a Mercedes. The money he has got from the new business allows him to support four family members. He thanks God for that crisis and for the new times. Many economists believe that Russia is going to face a boom of investment. Sergei Zuykov also expects this, as there is almost a classical formula that forms the basis of his business: money - trademark - money. This scheme has many prospects in today’s Russia. |
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| Alexander Kolpakov, Boris Plokhov, Nikolay Domrin. REN TV. Moscow. |
