From March 1, 2026, significant amendments to the “Law on the Protection of the State Language” will come into force in Russia. For entrepreneurs, this effectively means a restriction on the use of foreign words in public spaces unless they are registered as trademarks.
Senior lawyer of the Key Client Practice at TEAM, intellectual property expert Alena Loginova has prepared a detailed guide on whether your business needs to urgently change its signage, websites, labels, and advertising strategy.
New requirements for the use of the Russian language in business
The changes will primarily affect retail and service sectors (B2C). If you interact with consumers, the rules become particularly strict.
What falls under the restriction?
Customer-facing information: words such as “Sale”, “Open”, “Price”, “Shop”, “Coffee” and other common Anglicisms must now be replaced with Russian equivalents (“Распродажа”, “Открыто”, “Цена”, etc.).
Signage and advertising: all information about discounts, promotions, and product features must be in Russian.
Social media: brand content on social networks must also comply with Russian language requirements.
Real estate advertising: names of new residential complexes and development projects in advertising materials must be in Russian only.
Translation rules: foreign language use is allowed only as a supplement, and the translated Russian text must not be smaller than the foreign-language version.
Trademark — the only legal way to keep a foreign brand name
The key question IP lawyers hear is: “Do we really have to rename our brand if it is in Latin script?”
The TEAM expert answer: no — if your name is officially registered as a trademark with Rospatent.
What can remain unchanged (in Latin script):
Registered trademarks
Service marks
Company trade names
If your name is a registered intellectual property object, you do not need transliteration or a Russian-language version. However, unregistered foreign-language commercial designations may become non-compliant under the 2026 rules.
Liability and risks for businesses
At this stage, direct administrative fines under the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO RF) are still being developed. However, lawyers warn of potential liability under related provisions:
Violation of consumer information rights (Art. 14.8 CAO RF)
Violation of advertising legislation (Art. 14.3 CAO RF)
Administrative orders from local authorities requiring removal of non-compliant signage under municipal landscaping rules
Recommendations from TEAM’s IP lawyer
To ensure that March 1, 2026 does not become a forced signage removal day for your business, Alena Loginova recommends:
Conduct a brand audit: review all signage, packaging, and advertising materials for foreign words.
Register your trademark: if your Latin-script name is not yet registered, do so immediately. Rospatent registration takes 4–10 months, so time is limited.
Russify service terms: translate words like “sale”, “new collection”, “menu” into Russian now to avoid future claims.
Need help with trademark registration or signage audit?
TEAM specializes in intellectual property protection and marketing communications support. We will help you preserve your brand identity while complying with the new legal framework.