Live better, live dangerously: slogans in Russia

"Save money. Live better" is a slogan that is difficult to ignore, even if you (i) already have pots of cash, (ii) live in the lap of luxury" and (iii) have a lifestyle combines a maximum of health with a cornucopia of pleasure. Walmart likes it too, which is why the US-based retail giant uses it as a tag to attract shoppers who might otherwise think the unthinkable and do their shopping elsewhere, for reasons of political conviction, convenience or whatever.

It is not recorded whether Russian supermarket mega-chain Maria-Ra likes "Save money. Live better", but the IPKat gathers that the chain has quite taken a fancy to a Russian slogan which comes out in English as "Pay less. Live better”, for which it sought trade mark registration [Merpel was initially a little startled by this latter slogan, since "Pay less" sounds to her a little like earning less pay, and thus not living better unless someone else is buying all the drinks].  Walmart filed an opposition, which the Russian Patent Disputes Chamber dismissed.

According to the Chamber, the literal translation of Walmart’s “Save money” in Russian is “Keep Money” or “Economize money”. On this basis, the words “Save money” would never translate to “Pay less”. Accordingly Maria-Ra's mark wasn't causing anyone any trouble. To be on the safe side, the Chamber added that the two slogans did not even resemble one another in their design.

The IPKat is a great enthusiast when it comes to the registration of slogans as trade marks, but only when they are truly distinctive. When he sees trite, banal puffs and slogans like "Save money. Live better" or, for that matter, "Pay less. Live better", he has to repress a powerful urge to wish a plague on all the houses of those who seek to monopolise them.

How to solve a problem like Maria here

Source: Petosevic got this from the Altapress.ru news portal and Rospatent

Russian bank hits competitor with registered cabbage

Savoy cabbage before ...

The IPKat, who unlike most felines has a soft spot for brassicas, notes with interest that the Russian Arbitration court has upheld SKB Bank’s exclusive right in the banking sector to use the image of a Savoy cabbage in its advertising, in a dispute against another Russian bank, National Bank TRUST (NBT).  The latter, with an entire range of vegetables from which to choose, foolishly or unimaginatively opted for the same one. The court also ordered the NBT to pay SKB Bank US$9,700 (EUR 7,400) in damages.  The fate of the cabbage is not currently known.

... and after delivery up for destruction

According to Russian International News Agency RIA Novosti, SKB registered its Savoy cabbage image at the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trade Marks (Rospatent) back in 2006 for the purpose of using it in its advertising campaigns. NBT argued that no one legal entity can own the rights to a product of nature such as this widely consumed vegetable.  No, said Rospatent: banks can register common words and corresponding images as trade marks just like anyone else, as long as the words and images in question have no direct connection with the banking sector.

The IPKat recalls the Chinese Tomato Bank and wonders if it has ever been confused with Japan's TomatoBank. This is irrelevant, crows Merpel - tomatoes are fruit, not vegetables.

Top 50 Russian banks here
Russian vegetable recipes here
Savoy cabbage recipes here and here

Thanks are due to Petosevic, for drawing the Kat's attention to this item.