On 8 August 2023, Rossiya Segodnya, the head company of Russia’s state broadcaster RT, made a claim with relevant authorities asking to register the brand name Echo of Moscow. This coincides with the name of what used to be Russia’s most popular government-critical radio station, before its forced closure by authorities following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The logo proposed by Rossiya Segodnya is identical to that used by the now defunct Echo of Moscow radio station.
Commenting on the case, former Echo of Moscow editor-in-chief Alexey Venediktov said Rossiya Segodnya could not legally register such a brand name, arguing that although Echo of Moscow’s radio station and website had been closed, Echo of Moscow LLC continued to exist as a legal entity in Russia. However, he also speculated that Echo of Moscow’s owner, Gazprom Media, would not oppose the registration attempt by Rossiya Segodnya.
According to lawyers contacted by BBC’s Russian service, Echo of Moscow’s registration period did in fact end on July 15, however the media company still has the right to ask for the extension of this period within a delay of six months.