Russia’s Svyaznoy gets no request from MTS to use trademark

MOSCOW, Dec 30 (PRIME) -- Cyprus-based Trellas Enterprises Ltd., the head company of Russian group Svyaznoy, has not received any request from mobile operator MTS to use the Svyaznoy trademark, as the 2014 bilateral agreement mentioned Trellas as the trademark’s owner, a spokesperson for Trellas told PRIME on Wednesday.

“MTS started distributing its connection services under the Svyaznoy brand at the end of 2013. The provision of these services at points of sale of Svyaznoy Logistics was formalized as a separate agreement in May 2014. The agreement clearly presented Trellas as the rights’ owner for the Svyaznoy trademark,” the spokesperson said.

“MTS has not addressed Trellas for a permit to exploit the Svyaznoy trademark. A license agreement, under which MTS could do it, has not been signed.”

The Cyprus-based company earlier filed a lawsuit seeking to recover about 78 billion rubles in compensation from MTS.

Trellas counted that about 800,000 contracts violating its exclusive rights were sold with no remuneration paid by MTS.

MTS said on Tuesday that it is studying the lawsuit, and the mobile operator used the trademark on the instruction of Svyaznoy itself.

The Svyaznoy group, which is now controlled by Oleg Malis, includes one of Russia’s biggest handset retailers.

(72.5066 rubles – U.S. $1)

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