The legalization of parallel imports in Russia. A view from Kazakhstan

In the context of the sanctions policy of Western countries, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted the Resolution No. 506 On Goods (Groups of Goods) in Relation to Which Certain Provisions of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on Protection of Exclusive Rights to Results of Intellectual Activity Expressed in Such Goods and Means of Individualization cannot be applied.

Such a decision of Russia carries risks for the EAEU member countries since freedom of movement of goods between the EAEU member states is declared as priority and that means that goods which come to Russia in the form of parallel importsmay afterwards move freely between the EAEU member countries.

The adopted Resolution consists, in fact, of a single article under which the Government of the Russian Federation decides to establish that the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, following proposals from federal executive authorities approves a list of goods (groups of goods) in respect of which the provisions of the Article 1359 and Article 1487 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation do not apply, provided that the said goods (groups of goods) are put into business outside the territory of the Russian Federation by the right owners or in accordance with their consent.

What does it mean?

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