Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused chaos throughout the world and heartbreaking death and suffering. In today's global economy, the war has also resulted in consequences and instability areas beyond what we see on the daily news.

As a result of sanctions from most Western countries and Russia's own actions, global companies may have a difficult time enforcing their intellectual property rights in Russia and may also be in danger of losing those rights altogether.

For decades, brands from the United States and Europe have been very popular in Russia. Anyone old enough to remember the Cold War will remember the stories of American fashion brands, such as Levi's jeans, being sold on the black market in the Soviet Union, or an American jeans–wearing visitor to Moscow being approached by a local resident wanting to buy the jeans.