Munich Patents for Rosatom and Italian Counsel for Su-34 Engines: How 14 Western Patent Law Firms Service Russian Defense and Nuclear Holdings Under EU Regulation 833/2014 (Articles 5s & 5n) and US OFAC GL 31
On 24 June 2024, the European Union enacted Article 5s of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 (via Regulation (EU) 2024/1745), prohibiting intellectual property offices from accepting patent and trademark filings from Russian entities and obligating EU Member States to enforce this ban at the European Patent Office (EPO in Munich). A primary-source audit of the EPO, DPMA (as of 05.11.2026), EUIPO in Alicante, UK EPC designations in London, and the USPTO in Alexandria reveals that 14 Western and EPC patent law firms across 8 jurisdictions actively maintain 46 patents and trademarks for Rostec and Rosatom holdings (JSC UEC, Concern Kalashnikov, VSMPO-AVISMA, JSC TVEL, PAO NZHK, PJSC MSZ Elektrostal) — including Unitary Patent EP 3 961 659 B1, 2024–2026 EPO grants (EP 4 339 966 B1 on 22.07.2026), and 2024–2025 US patents (US 12,325,907 B2 on 10.06.2025) granted to OFAC-SDN-blocked entities.
1. Why the Patent Registers of Munich, Alicante, and Alexandria Are an X-Ray of Russian Military-Industrial Strategy
When investigators track the Russian military-industrial complex or state nuclear monopoly Rosatom, they typically examine CHPL microelectronics customs records or satellite imagery of factory halls. Yet every titanium alloy used in a Su-34 airframe, every gas-turbine stator in an AL-41F1S fighter engine, and every zirconium fuel cladding tube in a nuclear reactor leaves a second, legally binding trail: sovereign intellectual property monopolies registered in Western jurisdictions.
No Russian enterprise can directly prosecute a European patent before the European Patent Office (EPO, Bob-van-Benthem-Platz 1, 80469 Munich), maintain national validations at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA, Munich) or UKIPO (London), renew trademarks at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO, Alicante), or obtain patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO, Alexandria, Virginia). Under Article 133(2) of the European Patent Convention (EPC) and Article 119(2) of the EU Trade Mark Regulation, a non-resident applicant must act strictly through an accredited Western patent attorney (Representative on record), who conducts legal representation, responds to office actions, and remits annual renewal fees (Fälligkeit).
Under European Union sanctions law, this representation intersects three binding prohibitions:
- Article 2(1)–(2) of Council Regulation
(EU) No 269/2014: mandatory freeze of all funds and economic resources (defined in Article 1(d) to include intangible assets, patents, and trademarks) belonging to Annex I designated persons — such as JSC United Engine Corporation (INN7731644035) and JSC Concern Kalashnikov (INN1832090230) — and a strict prohibition on making economic resources or maintenance services available to them. - Article 5n(2) & (2b) of Council Regulation
(EU) No 833/2014: prohibition on providing, directly or indirectly, legal advisory services, engineering services, and technical testing/analysis services to the Government of Russia or to legal persons established in Russia. When State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (INN7706413348, OGRN1077799032926) files European and US patents explicitly titled *"State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom on Behalf of The Russian Federation"*, any non-litigation patent prosecution or maintenance by an EU law firm constitutes direct service provision to the Government of Russia. - Article 5s of Council Regulation
(EU) No 833/2014(enacted by the 14th Sanctions Package — Council Regulation(EU) 2024/1745of 24 June 2024): EU and Member State intellectual property offices shall not accept applications for registration of patents or trademarks from Russian nationals or legal persons established in Russia (including joint filings with non-Russian co-applicants), and under Article 5s(2), EU Member States in their capacity as Contracting States to the EPC must ensure that the EPO does not accept such applications.
2. Anatomy of the Munich and Ankara EPC Loopholes: Unitary Patent Registration After 24.06.2024 and 2024–2026 EPO Grants
Cross-verifying official EPO patent specifications (EP*.pdf) against the live German Patent and Trade Mark Office register (DPMAregister as of 5 November 2026) exposes two structural mechanisms through which Rosatom and Rostec holdings continue to obtain and maintain European patents after 24 June 2024:
Mechanism A: Third-Country EPC Proxy (Turkey) and Budapest Filing for US/UK-Sanctioned JSC TVEL and PAO NZHK
Rosatom's nuclear fuel and special materials holding — JSC "TVEL" (INN 7706123550, OGRN 1027739121475) — has been subject to a UK asset freeze since 24.02.2023 and blocked on the US OFAC SDN List since 12.04.2023 (under E.O. 14024). To bypass the EU Article 5n ban on EU-based legal services while continuing to prosecute patents before the EPO in Munich, JSC TVEL and its Novosibirsk subsidiary PAO "NZHK" (INN 5410114184, OGRN 1025403903722) appointed an EPC patent attorney firm in a non-EU EPC Contracting State — Yalçiner Patent and Consulting Ltd. (Tunus Caddesi 85/3-4, Kavaklidere, 06680 Ankara, Turkey) — alongside Hungarian firm Danubia Patent & Law Office LLC (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 16, 1051 Budapest, Hungary):
- European Patent with Unitary Effect (
Einheitspatentunder EU Regulation No 1257/2012)EP 3 961 659 B1(AKZ E199571837): JSC TVEL's patent on *"Method for manufacturing a superconducting composite wire based on Nb3Sn"*. Granted on 19.06.2024, its Unitary Effect across 17 EU Member States (AT, BE, BG, DE, DK, EE, FI, FR, IT, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, PT, SE, SI) was registered by the EPO on 26 June 2024 and published on 14 August 2024 — AFTER Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 (Article 5s) entered into force on 24 June 2024. It remains active in force (Anhängig/in Kraft) as of 05.11.2026. EP 4 339 966 B1(AKZ E228288601, DE60 2022 040 329.4): patent on *"Device for trapping debris in a nuclear fuel assembly"* for JSC TVEL and PAO NZHK, granted by the EPO on 22 July 2026 (published in DPMA on 13.08.2026, active in force as of 05.11.2026) viaYalçiner Patent and Consulting Ltd..- **
EP 4 141 890 B1(AKZ E219400280, DE60 2021 029 826.9— *"Fuel rod of a water-cooled water-moderated nuclear reactor"*) andEP 4 145 469 B1(AKZ E209464312, DE60 2020 039 380.3— *"Method for producing pelletized fuel from uranium-molybdenum powders"*): granted by the EPO to JSC TVEL on 23 April 2025 and 9 October 2024** respectively, with annual renewal fees updated in August 2026 (01.08.2026and26.08.2026). - **
EP 4 546 371 A1(AKZ E229481247,PCT/RU2022/000387— *"Nuclear reactor fuel assembly (embodiments)"*): JSC TVEL application prosecuted into the European phase by EU-basedDanubia Patent & Law Office LLC(Budapest, Hungary) and published by the EPO on 30 April 2025 (Bulletin2025/18)** — ten months after Article 5s took effect.
Mechanism B: Direct German, Italian, French, and Lithuanian Representation for the Government of Russia (Rosatom), JSC UEC, VSMPO-AVISMA, and Concern Kalashnikov
Friese Goeden Patentanwälte PartGmbB(Widenmayerstraße 49, 80538 Munich, DE): in October 2024 — nearly four months after Article 5s took effect — prosecuted to grant two European patents:EP 3 690 890 B1on 16.10.2024 for JSC TVEL andEP 3 734 615 B1on 09.10.2024 for "State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom on Behalf of The Russian Federation" (reprocessing nitride spent nuclear fuel in molten salts), while maintainingEP 3 483 597 B1(updated08.08.2026) and three active JSC TVEL applications (EP 4 080 520 A1,EP 4 082 685 A1,EP 4 091 731 A1).Dr. Schön, Neymeyr & Partner Patentanwälte mbB(Bavariaring 26, 80336 Munich, DE): maintains active representation for thermonuclear reactor vacuum vessel patentEP 3 591 667 B1(granted22.11.2023, annual renewal fee updated08.04.2026) held by State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom on Behalf of The Russian Federation.Meissner Bolte Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB(Munich, DE) andWITTE, WELLER & PARTNER Patentanwälte mbB(Stuttgart, DE): represent Rostec's strategic titanium producer Public Stock Company "VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation" (INN6607000556, OGRN1026600784011). In 2026, DPMA/EPO records confirm updated annual renewal fees across pseudo-beta titanium alloy and additive-manufacturing titanium patentsEP 2 527 478 B1(updated10.01.2026),EP 3 617 335 B1(07.05.2026),EP 3 844 313 B1(granted01.03.2023, renewal updated09.09.2026), andEP 2 623 620 B1(14.10.2026), pending applicationEP 4 317 497 A1(published07.02.2024, updated25.06.2025), and active EU Trade MarksEUTM 003117843(TIRUS) andEUTM 003725108(VSMPO, renewed through 2034).Jacobacci & Partners S.p.A.(Brescia, Italy) andADELENYS s.a.s.(Paris, France): remain the representatives on record across four active EPO aircraft turbine applications (EP 3 693 574 A1,EP 3 712 402 A1,EP 3 597 409 A2,EP 3 597 543 A2— allAnhängig/in Kraftas of05.11.2026) owned by JSC "United Engine Corporation" (AO "ODK", INN7731644035, OGRN1107746186096), which is directly subject to an EU asset freeze under Annex I of Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014.- EUIPO Alicante and
Juozas Lapienis(Vilnius, Lithuania): despite the designation of JSC Concern "Kalashnikov" (INN1832090230, OGRN1111832003018) under Annex I of Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014, six EU Trade Marks of Concern Kalashnikov in Nice Class 13 (firearms and ammunition) remain active in force (Marke eingetragenas of05.11.2026) at EUIPO:EUTM 018194268(Representative:Juozas Lapienis, Vilnius),EUTM 012856993(AK 47),EUTM 012857074(AKM),EUTM 012857215(AK 74) (all three maintained past their May 2024 ten-year expiration threshold),EUTM 002989762(SAIGA), andEUTM 004534632(DRAGUNOV).
3. The Transatlantic Dentons Network and the US OFAC General License No. 31 Loophole at the USPTO
Comparing European, UK, and US registries highlights a striking cross-jurisdictional regulatory gap across the global Dentons network and US patent law firms:
- In Germany (
Dentons Patent Solutions Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Munich andDentons Europe (Germany) GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin), the firm maintains JSC TVEL's patentEP 3 960 896 B1(granted06.12.2023, renewal fee updated26.08.2026), applicationEP 3 961 650 A1(JSC TVEL & PJSC Mashinostroitelny Zavod, INN5053005918, OGRN1025007111491), and EU Trade MarkEUTM 009157207(ROSATOM). - In London (
Dentons UK and Middle East LLP, One Fleet Place, London EC4M 7WS), the firm stands on record for fiveGB-designated European patents held by "State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom on Behalf of The Russian Federation" (EP 3 306 619 B1,EP 3 413 397 B1,EP 3 381 600 B1,EP 3 382 717 B1,EP 3 441 978 B1). - In the United States (
Dentons US LLP,Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP,PATENTTM.US, andBrooks Kushman P.C.), OFAC Russia-related General License No. 31 (31 CFR Part 587, issued 05.05.2022) continues to authorize US patent attorneys to prosecute and maintain US patents even for entities blocked on theOFAC SDN List. Relying on GL 31: Dentons US LLPobtained USPTO grantUS 12,325,907 B2on 10 June 2025 directly for JSC "TVEL" (two years and two months after TVEL was blocked on the OFAC SDN list on 12.04.2023) andUS 12,224,075 B2on 11 February 2025 for Rosatom acting on Behalf of the Russian Federation (in addition to four 2022–2023 US grants:US 11,802,686 B2,US 11,756,697 B2,US 11,735,325 B2,US 11,437,154 B2).Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP(Plano, Texas) obtained USPTO grantUS 11,946,130 B2on 2 April 2024 (zirconium alloy nuclear fuel cladding tubes) for OFAC-SDN-blocked JSC "TVEL".PATENTTM.USobtained USPTO grantUS 11,473,440 B2on 18 October 2022 (gas turbine stator) for OFAC-SDN-blocked military aero-engine holding JSC "United Engine Corporation" (INN7731644035).
The complete bilingual compliance matrix of all 12 clusters (14 Western and EPC patent law firms and 46 verified patents and trademarks) with primary-source PDF specifications and SHA-256 hashes is published in /en/sanctions-gap#patent-attorneys-matrix.