RT demanded half a million rubles from a manufacturer of things labeled “foreign agent”. Previously, the channel received the rights to this phrase.

State TV channel RT demanded compensation in the amount of 500 thousand rubles from the Moscow store Feelosophy, which produces key rings, badges, signs and garments labeled “foreign agent”. About it writes “Medusa”.

According to the newspaper, Feelosophy put on sale “foreign agent” T-shirts in support of the media included in the corresponding list of the Ministry of Justice in August this year. On October 30, the store received claims from RT. The state channel called the T-shirts in support of “foreign agents” counterfeit and demanded that the manufacturer pay 500 thousand rubles in compensation.

At the same time, RT itself has also been selling clothes labeled “foreign agent” since the channel was included in the list of foreign agents by the US authorities. Intellectual rights to this phrase state channel received a year and a half after the start of sales – in June last year.

According to the founder of Feelosophy Georgy Saribekyan, RT’s claim is the sixth for the store, but before that no one had demanded monetary compensation from entrepreneurs. Other companies have previously asked to remove products from sale.

In a conversation with Meduza, Saribekyan’s lawyers stressed that RT’s claim “does not look like an attempt to resolve the conflict in good faith and peacefully.” According to them, the state-owned channel demanded that the store pay compensation within seven days from the date of receipt of the letter – this is three times less than the period established by law for pre-trial settlement.

According to lawyers, RT also does not give any reason for the amount of such a large compensation, given that the minimum amount of compensation for violation of the right to a trademark is 10 thousand rubles. The lawyers noted that in the event that the copyright holder requires payment of more than this amount, he must substantiate his claims.

According to a partner at the law firm Lidings, patent attorney Boris Malakhov, if the courts side with RT, the TV channel will be able to bring claims against many other brands that produce similar products.

Meduza adds that in May 2021 RT also asked for the exclusive right to use the word “foreign agent”.