MOSCOW, March 12 (RAPSI) – The Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent) said it has ruled against a petition by the Ford Motor Company (US) to recognize the “Ford” brand name as a commonly known word in Russia.

The plaintiff provided reference materials from its joint company, Ford Sollers Holding, as well as information from various websites and advertising sources to prove that the word “Ford” was extensively used in Russia to identify cars, car parts and accessories.

Rospatent argued that materials referring to Ford Motor Company’s 122 official dealers in Russia only included their names and legal addresses, but no facts about their operation, the Russian agency said in a statement.

Moreover, all historical and information materials were provided to the federal service by Ford’s Russian affiliate, Ford Sollers Holding, and their authenticity had not been confirmed through other documentation. The materials therefore could not be accepted as objective, Rospatent said.

It also said that the materials provided by the plaintiff did not include a single document such as an agreement, contract or declaration that could be considered evidence of the production or import to Russia of any products marked as “Ford.”