Russian and Eurasian design attorneys

Hague Refusals in Russia and Eurasia

We help foreign counsel and design owners assess, respond to and appeal refusals affecting Hague international registrations in Russia and, from 10 October 2026, before the Eurasian Patent Office.

Send Hague refusal All services Designs

First determine what the notice requires

A Hague notification of refusal is not one uniform procedural document. The first task is to identify whether the holder can respond, must select or divide designs, or has already reached the appeal stage.

Response

An objection that can still be answered

Some notices invite a local response, selection of designs, clarification or supporting evidence. The notice itself controls the deadline and whether any extension is available.

Appeal

A final refusal that must be appealed

Other notifications communicate a final decision. Repeating prosecution arguments as an ordinary response will not preserve rights if the correct remedy is an appeal.

Scope

A territorial decision

A refusal in Russia or before EAPO does not cancel the international registration elsewhere. It affects only the corresponding national or regional designation.

Russia and Eurasia: two designated offices

Both offices conduct substantive examination, but the territory, local rules and remedies are different. A single analysis should not be copied from one designation to the other.

Russian Federation

Rospatent designation

Russia has participated in the Hague System since 2018. Rospatent examines novelty, originality, excluded subject matter, earlier rights and the Russian unity requirement. Foreign holders generally act through a registered Russian patent attorney.

Russia only12-month refusal windowUnity requirement

Eurasian Patent Organization

EAPO designation

From 10 October 2026, a Hague application can designate EAPO. The Eurasian Office will act as an Examining Office and apply the regional design rules across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Eight statesAvailable 10 October 2026Eurasian patent attorney

What we handle

Our role is to turn the WIPO notification and local examination record into a short, workable plan for the foreign associate and the design owner.

Audit

Status and deadline review

We identify the office, affected designs, procedural status, controlling date and correct local remedy before work starts.

Prior art

Novelty and overall impression analysis

We review cited designs, priority data and the examiner's comparison, then test distinctions visible in the filed representations.

Unity

Selection and divisional strategy

For Russian unity objections, we map which designs may remain together and which may need separate national applications.

Images

Representation and amendment audit

We check consistency of views, claimed and disclaimed features, product indication and whether a proposed correction risks adding new matter.

Rights

Consents and earlier-right conflicts

Where the objection concerns marks, works, official symbols or ownership, we assess consent, entitlement and limitation options.

Remedy

Responses, appeals and reporting

We prepare the Russian-language submission, arrange local filing, report the outcome and monitor withdrawal or maintenance of refusal through WIPO.

Common grounds for refusal

The precise statutory language differs, but Russian and Eurasian examination focuses on the protectable appearance shown in the filed images and its relationship to prior designs and earlier rights.

Lack of noveltyThe totality of essential visual features was publicly available before the filing or priority date.

Lack of originalityThe cited product appearance produces the same overall impression on the informed consumer or the differences are not creatively significant.

Unity of design in RussiaRussia may require the designs in one registration to form a single creative concept. This is a frequent Hague issue and may require selection plus divisional filings.

Technical function or non-design subject matterProtection is unavailable where all features are dictated solely by function or the claimed matter is not a protectable product appearance.

Earlier rights and misleading appearanceEarlier trademarks, protected works, product origin or manufacturer indications may block protection unless consent or entitlement can be shown.

Public interest and protected symbolsOfficial signs, cultural heritage elements, or appearances contrary to public interest, humanity or morality may be excluded or require authorization.

Match the strategy to the objection

The strongest response protects what can realistically survive examination and avoids amendments that change the design shown in the international registration.

Distinguish the cited design

Frame the comparison around the essential features and overall impression visible in the filed views, supported by a disciplined prior-art analysis.

Select, divide or narrow

For a Russian unity objection, preserve a defensible group in the Hague designation and consider divisional Russian applications for the remaining designs.

Document entitlement or consent

Use assignments, corporate records, consent letters or authorizations where the objection concerns ownership, earlier rights or protected official elements.

Appeal the final decision

When ordinary prosecution is over, challenge the legal and factual basis through the correct local appeal route instead of filing an ineffective late response.

Process for foreign counsel

We keep the file easy to forward: one deadline audit, one practical recommendation and concise reporting through withdrawal of refusal or appeal.

Send the record

Share the DM number, refusal PDF, WIPO publication and any earlier correspondence.

Deadline audit

We confirm the office, affected designs, procedural status and controlling response or appeal date.

Opinion and estimate

We summarize prospects, response options, evidence, official fees and our attorney fees.

Local filing

We prepare and file the response or appeal in Russian through the appropriate patent attorney.

Outcome tracking

We report the decision and monitor the office and WIPO record for the resulting protection status.

Deadline and remedy snapshot

The WIPO transmission date, the local office date and the remedy stated in the notice serve different purposes. Docket the exact document, not a generic Hague deadline.

Russia: 12 months is the office's windowThe 12-month period runs from publication and limits when Rospatent may notify WIPO. It is not the holder's response period.

Russia: response or seven-month appealA published Rospatent unity notice gave a non-extendable three-month selection period. A final refusal is appealable within seven months under Civil Code Articles 1387 and 1391. Read the actual notice before choosing the remedy.

EAPO: staged regional appealFrom 10 October 2026, current EAPO Rule 112 provides three months for the first appeal and four months for a subsequent appeal to the President. The Hague notice and implementing practice should be checked when issued.

Legal references

Key statutory and official materials used for this service page.

Current as of 19 July 2026. The EAPO designation becomes available on 10 October 2026; the first office notices and WIPO member profile should be checked as operational practice develops. This page is general information, not a legal opinion on a particular matter.

Have a Hague design refusal?

Send the DM number, refusal PDF, WIPO publication and any stated deadline. We will identify whether the matter requires a response, selection or divisional strategy, or a local appeal, and provide our preliminary view and fee estimate.

Email info@khp.legal +7 (843) 21 50 055