Russian intellectual immunities under the Eurasian Economic Union

Abstract

The problem of the abolishment of “intellectual immunities” has remained relevant for many years. According to Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service, the lack of antitrust control over the disposal of exclusive rights makes the Russian market vulnerable before foreign holders of intellectual rights. In fact, the regulator is entitled to impose antitrust restrictions on exclusive rights. This power is expressly stipulated by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, which still provides for “intellectual immunities” for foreign holders of intellectual rights. Therefore, the removal of these immunities from the law is a prerequisite for improvement of the antitrust regulation, which must be followed by systemic modification of the antitrust laws, in the first place, by expansion of competition assessment techniques in the field of intellectual property and by setting boundaries in respect of antitrust control, preserving the powers conferred on holders of intellectual rights.