Russia and UK IP business
The current situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion is complex and fast-moving. Guidance on the UK Government’s sanctions can be found on the GOV.UK website.
IPReg cannot provide you with legal advice on whether any actions or business with Russian clients, Russian government departments or the Russian IPO would engage the UK Government’s sanctions directives.
You may be assisted by the Government’s dedicated helpdesk which has been set up to answer questions about trading with Russia. The Export Support Service can also be contacted online or by telephone: 0300 303 8955.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has issued guidance on trading with Russia. It also publishes a blog which you may find useful.
OFSI publishes a Consolidated List of financial sanctions targets. It has a "fuzzy search" tool which will find matches in the Consolidated List even when users misspell search terms or enter only partial words for the search.
The UKIPO and the EPO have issued statements and their websites should be checked for any updates.
You may find that this toolkit on the Practical Law website provides useful information.
If you are unsure about the legal and funding status of your client in view of the sanctions experienced by some Russian businesses, please check with your due diligence team and/or obtain independent legal advice. This might be prudent even if your direct client is not technically an organisation incorporated in Russia.
Cyber Security
The National Cyber Security Centre has issued guidance on steps that organisations can take to improve security in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and a heightened cyber threat. You should read this guidance and take appropriate action to protect your systems and people from the threat of an attack.
If you are the victim of a cyber attack, please refer to IPReg’s dedicated webpage and report the matter to us if there has been a regulatory breach or the possibility of harm to client information or money.