Registration of foreign trademarks in Ukraine: who invests during the war

Despite the difficult conditions caused by the war, foreign companies continue to register trademarks in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, in 2024, 2,573 applications for TM registration were filed by non-residents. The main applicants were companies from the USA, Switzerland and Cyprus, whose share exceeds 40% of the total.

According to Opendatabot, the greatest interest in registration is shown by companies operating in the fields of medical and veterinary drugs production, advertising, administration and provision of office services. At the same time, the total number of applications from foreign companies compared to the pre-war period decreased by 37% - in 2021, more than 4,000 applications were filed, while in 2024 this figure was 2.5 thousand.

The leading countries in terms of the number of applications submitted are the USA (18.4% of the total number), Switzerland (12.5%) and Cyprus (9.7%). Businesses from China, the UK and Poland also showed significant activity. This indicates that despite the war, Ukraine remains an attractive market for international business.

The top five applicants included:
- Philip Morris Products S.A. – 91 applications;
- Mistral Capital Management Limited – 69 applications;
- UPL Mauritius Limited – 69 applications;
- British American Tobacco (Brands) Inc. – 49 applications;
- Farmak AG – 45 applications.

The most frequently registered trademarks were companies related to the following areas:
- medical, veterinary and hygiene products – 711 applications (27.6%);
- advertising, administration and office services – 472 applications (18.3%);
- tobacco products, accessories and their substitutes – 341 applications (13.3%);
- scientific, electronic and optical devices – 306 applications (11.9%);
- cosmetics, care products and household chemicals – 282 applications (11.0%).

The record holder in terms of the number of areas of activity was Felix Trade PTE. LTD, which filed an application for trademark registration in 20 categories at once.

Among Ukrainian companies, the leader in terms of the number of applications filed for trademark registration was the confectionery corporation "Roshen". This demonstrates the activity of both foreign and domestic businesses in protecting their brands, which is an important step for maintaining and expanding market positions in wartime.