Yekaterinburg’s public prosecution authorities recently instituted criminal proceedings against an entrepreneur whose business operates in one of the city’s largest shopping malls, the spokesperson for the authorities repots. The businessman is suspected of using Ermengildo Zegna trademark illegally, which offense is described in Article 180 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code.


‘The trademark owner placed its complaint with the local authorities as early as the summer of 2009, but the complaint did not result in any lawsuits for a long time. The law-enforcement agencies inspected the store and refused to start a criminal suit. Oktyabrskiy district’s public prosecution authorities canceled these refusals, with the final refusal obtained in January 2010. The regional public prosecution authorities looked into the case and declared that the entrepreneur’s actions actually contradict the law in accordance with Article 180 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code,’ the spokesperson for the authorities says.