The Russian occupation administration of Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories has been granted the 'exclusive right' to the 'Melitopol cherry' brand by Rospatent, Russia's federal service for intellectual property. This certificate was issued as the first regional brand certificate in Russia. The geographical indication 'Melitopol cherry' was officially recognized as a regional brand in Ukraine in 2020. The application for this registration was submitted by the public union 'Association of producers of Melitopol cherry' in December 2019.