Russia Renewed Unused Trump Trademarks in 2016
Last year, while hacking Democrats’ emails and working to undermine the American presidential election, the Russian government also granted extensions to six trademarks for Mr. Trump that had been set to expire. The Trump trademarks, originally obtained between 1996 and 2007 for hotels and branding deals that never materialized, each had terms that were coming to an end in 2016.
.. Four of the approvals were officially registered on Nov. 8 — Election Day in the United States.
.. Although Mr. Trump has not managed to develop hotels in Russia despite attempts over the years, and has disclosed no active business ventures there, his intellectual property holdings are a valuable commercial interest. The extension of trademarks such as “Trump International Hotel and Tower” protects his brand in that country and preserves conditions for potential business deals.
.. In a 2015 deposition related to an infringement dispute in the United States, he testified that Mr. Trump’s trademarks generally were “one of his most valuable assets.”