Russia's Communist Party want to establish their country's copyright ownership over the red star symbol, and to ban foreign companies — such as Heineken brewery or Macy's department stores — from using the image on their logos, the Lenta.ru news portal reported Tuesday.
State Duma deputy and chief lawyer for the Communist Party (KPRF) Vadim Solovyov said his comrades would send an appeal to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, asking him to ensure “protection of our symbols, including the red star — the symbol of victory that appears on our military flags,” Lenta.ru reported.
“Sometimes our symbols are used for commercial purposes, and the state must protect state symbols from commercial use by foreign firms,” Solovyov was quoted as saying. Foreigners “have nothing to do with our symbolism,” he added.
Russian companies could still be allowed to use the symbol, as long as they do not “intentionally distort [it] or use in an incorrect form,” Solovyov said, Lenta.ru reported. He did not specify what would constitute the correct or incorrect use of a red star image.
Red stars appear on the logos of a number of prominent Western brands, including Italy's San Pellegrino mineral water producer and Australia's Jetstar low-cost airline, in addition to Macy's and Heineken.
Most of the companies have been in operation since long before the Soviet and the Russia's Communist parties were founded.
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