On May 7, 2026, a regular session of the intellectual property advisory service for exporters took place.
One of the organizers of an automotive exhibition contacted the consultation center regarding the legitimacy of a claim made by a Belarusian rights holder of a combined service mark registered for Class 35 services under the Nice Classification (organization of exhibitions for commercial or advertising purposes; advertising: sales promotion services for third parties). This combined service mark was confusingly similar to two marks (one word based and other figurative) belonging to a Chinese manufacturer. There two marks had been registered in the Republic of Belarus as international trademarks in the name of the Chinese automobile manufacturer, which had decided to exhibit its vehicles.
The ban concerned a requirement for the exhibition organizer to stop displaying vehicles bearing the well-known trademark of a Chinese manufacturer at the auto show.
The consultant’s response was based on Belarusian legislation regarding trademarks and service marks.
In accordance with Article 20, Paragraph 1 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Trademarks and service Marks,” the use of a trademark to distinguish the goods for which the trademark is registered is realized, inter alia, by applying the trademark:
1.1. on goods that are manufactured, offered for sale, sold, or otherwise introduced into civil commerce, stored, transported, or imported into the territory of the Republic of Belarus for the purpose of introduction into civil commerce, as well as on the labels and packaging of such goods;
1.2. on documentation related to the introduction of goods into civil circulation;
1.3. during the performance of work and/or the provision of services;
1.4. in advertising, in printed publications, on sigs, and during the demonstration of exhibits at exhibitions and trade fairs held in the Republic of Belarus;
1.5. on global computer network the Internet (including in a domain name or through other addressing methods).
As can be seen, displaying a product as an exhibit at a trade show constitutes a form of use of the trademark registered in respect of that product.
Thus, a claim brought against an automobile exhibition organizer by the owner of a service mark registered for services involving the organization of exhibitions for commercial or advertising purposes is unlawful, where the organizer held the event under its own designation and intended to display vehicles from a well-known Chinese manufacturer within the exhibition space.
