Russia’s trademark office is seeing a spike in applications for famous Western brands since the Russian government issued a decree early last month, permitting the use of patents from “unfriendly countries” without pay or consent from the owner. Opportunistic Russians, emboldened by the decree, have so far submitted more than 50 trademark applications for names and logos of well-known brands including Starbucks, Nespresso, McDonald’s, Mercedes-Benz, Chanel, and Christian Dior. This comes after hundreds of multinational companies announced they will pull out of Russia, closing stores, or suspending operations in response to the war in Ukraine. It’s unclear if Russia’s trademark authority will grant these applications for registration. Some trademark and patent attorneys have raised concerns when a Russian court in Kirov determined that anybody can use the trademarks for Peppa Pig and Daddy Pig, British cartoon characters. The court ruling cited “unfriendly actions of the United States of America and …