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Russian singer tries to secure vodka and sex toy trademark
Kremlin-backed singer Yaroslav Yuryevich Dronov, known by his stage name Shaman, has filed to trademark the term “Ya Russky” (“I’m Russian”) for alcoholic beverages, household goods and sex toys.
Dronov, who is a strong supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has been utilised by Vladimir Putin’s regime as a propaganda tool, with the music video for his song My Fight depicting Russian soldiers fighting in Donbass to complement lyrics such as: “These wounds only make me stronger, I will return home with the victory, I will return to stay with you.”
His pro-war stance has resulted in him being sanctioned by numerous Western nations, including Canada and the European Union. Spotify has also removed his music from the audio streaming platform due to his politics.
News outlet Moskva has reported that Dronov wishes to double down on his pro-Russian brand, having filed to trademark “Ya Russky”, also the name of one of his songs, for alcoholic beverages, including vodka, whiskey, gin, cider, and other drinks.
A second application, also filed to Rospatent, Russia’s Federal Service for Intellectual Property, seeks to trademark the term for numerous other products, including cosmetics, toiletries, jewellery, confectionary and what Moskva refers to as “sex toys, sex dolls and devices for sexual activity”.
It is currently unclear what exactly Dronov plans to do with the “Ya Russky” brand, though given he separately filed to trademark the term for alcoholic beverages, it would suggest that he intends to launch a drinks brand at some point.
Russia is known to flout regulations concerning the names of alcoholic drinks, with the Kremlin ruling back in 2021 that only sparkling wine produced in the Motherland can be labelled as ‘Champagne’, a move that was much to the chagrin of those from the French region of the same name.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian drinks market has undergone a major shakeup, with many of the big players leaving the country and the economy on the brink of a major recession.
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