Russian Lawmaker Proposes Invalidating Patents On Vehicles From 'Unfriendly' Countries

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2023) Deputy Chair of Russia's Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Valery Vasilyev on Monday proposed to invalidate intellectual property patents for vehicles from "unfriendly" countries and use them to create domestic brands.

"I believe that in current conditions it is advisable to nullify patents for the body, spare parts and interior design from unfriendly countries, and use them to create domestic automobile brands. That is, to follow the path of production copying, and not only in the automotive industry," Vasilyev told Sputnik, noting that such opportunities already exist.

The lawmaker specified that China once went down this path and it is now confidently leading in terms of production among countries that have traditionally been famous for a strong auto industry.

Russian lawmakers have already discussed the possibility of introducing amendments to the technical regulation of the Eurasian Customs Union on "temporary recognition and permission to use a vehicle type approval certificate issued in the Commonwealth of Independent States on the territory of (Russia)," including freight traffic.

Vasilyev emphasized that Moscow should either replace traditional suppliers of automobile components, which ceased operations with Russia against the backdrop of Western sanctions, with new partners, or learn how to substitute the most advanced and high-tech components.

Russian automakers produce automotive components themselves, unlike world practice, when automakers order necessary components and parts from specialized companies.

"I think it would be optimal to accelerate this process and create one or more large clusters that would develop complex assemblies and produce components. This will make it possible to concentrate the best scientific and engineering personnel in these structures, and achieve the goal much faster than each enterprise doing everything on its own. This, among other things, will ultimately allow us to regulate the prices of finished products," Vasilyev said.

He noted that prices for new passenger cars increased by 20% to an average 2.5 million rubles ($30,800) in 2022.