Starbucks has applied for several patents in Russia nearly two years after it fled the country due to the war in Ukraine, according to a database from Russia's intellectual property agency Rospatent.

Experts speculate that the move could signal either a potential return of Starbucks to the Russian market or an attempt to extend the patent protection before they expire next year.

Starbucks suspended operations and shipments in Russia on March 10, 2022, days after the invasion of Ukraine, and announced its complete exit in May of that year after nearly 15 years in the market.

Pro-Kremlin rapper Timati and Russian restaurateur Anton Pinsky acquired Starbucks' Russian division in July 2022 and reopened it as "Stars Coffee" under the slogan "Bucks is gone, stars are staying."

Pinsky reportedly tried but failed to register the trademarks "Stars Pinsky Coffee" and "Stars Kanokov Coffee," with Rospatent ruling that they had too much in common with Starbucks.

In April of this year, the restaurateur filed a lawsuit to prematurely terminate the Starbucks Corporation trademark.

According to Vedomosti, Starbucks has applied for eight Russian patents for brands such as Starbucks Coffee and Frappuccino, as well as for services such as food and beverage preparation and loyalty programs.

Seattle-based Starbucks did not comment on Vedomosti's report.

Starbucks may be pursuing a dual goal: to retain the ability to eventually return to Russia and to protect its trademarks after the three-year patents expire in 2025, legal experts told Vedomosti.

Before its closure during the war, Starbucks employed 2,000 people in 130 stores in Russia.


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