Republic of Serbia IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names

Republic of Serbia is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe and Southeastern Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans.

Serbia is a member of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and Council of Europe. In 2010 it will preside over the Central European Free Trade Agreement. Serbia is classified as an emerging and developing economy by the International Monetary Fund and an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank. World Trade Organization accession and membership is expected in 2010. Serbia has a high Human Development Index and Freedom House in 2008 listed Serbia as one of few free Balkan states. The country is also an EU membership applicant and a militarily neutral country.

The country expects some major economic impulses and high growth rates in the next years. Given its recent high economic growth rates, which averaged 6.6% in the last three years, foreign analysts have sometimes labeled Serbia as the “Balkan Tiger”.

Serbia is the only European country outside the former Soviet Union to have free trade agreements with the Russian Federation and, more recently, Belarus. Apart from its favorable economic agreements with both the East and West, such steps could be soon undertaken with Turkey and Iran. By doing this Serbia hopes to set up an export-oriented economy.

General Information

Capital:

Belgrade

Population:

7,3 million

Languages:

Serbian

Government Type:

Parliamentary Republic

Dialing Code:

+381

Timezone:

GMT +1

Monetary Unit:

Serbian dinar (RSD)

More information:

Republic of Serbia

International Arrangements

- Paris Convention
- Madrid Agreement
- Madrid Protocol
- PCT Convention
- Budapest Treaty
- Hague Agreement
- Lisbon Agreement

Patents

Filing a Conventional Application – Requirements
- Name and address of the Applicant
- The name and address of the inventor(s) or a statement that inventor does not wish to have his name mentioned in the application
- Priority date, country and number
- Description of Patent
- Patent Claims
- Drawings (if any)
- Abstract – summary of the invention
- The document showing the assignment of rights from the Inventors in favor of the Applicant, simply signed by the Inventors – can be submitted subsequently, within 30 days as from the receipt of the official invitation. This term can be extended several times up to 6 months
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Applicant – can be submitted subsequently, within 30 days as from the receipt of the official invitation. This term can be extended several times up to 6 months
- Priority document – can be submitted subsequently, within 3 months as from the Application date along with certified translation into the local language. This term cannot be extended
- The Application is to be filed within one year as from the priority date
- Translation of description, claims and abstract into local language, can be filed subsequently

Filing a National Phase of PCT Application – Requirements
- Name and address of the Applicant
- The name and address of the inventor(s) or a statement that inventor does not wish to have his name mentioned in the application
- Description of Patent
- Patent Claims
- Drawings (if any)
- Abstract – summary of the invention
- Priority date, country and number
- International Search report
- International Preliminary examination report
- PCT Publication page
- The document showing the assignment of rights from the Inventors in favor of the Applicant, simply signed by the Inventors – can be submitted within 30 days as from the receipt of the official invitation. This term cannot be extended
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Applicant – can be submitted within 30 days as from the receipt of the official invitation. This term can be extended several times up to 6 months
- Translation of description, claims and abstract into local language, can be filed subsequently.

Time limits for filing a National phase of PCT Application
- The Application is to be filed with the Office within 30 months as from the Priority Application date.

Registration Procedure:
- Application is to be published within 18 months as from the application date or as from the priority date
- Request for full examination is to be filed within 31 months as from the priority date for the national phase of PCT Applications or within 6 months as from the publication date for the national applications

Duration:
- 20 years as from the application date for conventional Patents
- 20 years as from the International filing date for the National phase of PCT patents
- petty patent is valid 10 years as from the application date
- the protection fees are to be paid annually, prior to the expiration of the year for which the protection fees have been paid or six months after the expiration of the protection period at the latest with 50% fine

Recording changes in the Register:
1. Assignment of rights
Requirements:
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignor
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignee
- Assignment document signed by the Assignor and the Assignee. Document must be legalized by the Apostille or notarized by Notary Public

2. Change of name
Requirements:
- Power of Attorney indicating the new name, simply signed by a representative of the Company
a) Extract from the Company Registers showing the change of name or
b) Statement of the Secretary of State showing the change of name

3. Change of address

Requirements:
- Power of Attorney indicating the new address, simply signed by a representative of the Company

Trademarks

Filing the Application – Requirements:
- Name and address of the Applicant
- Representation of the Mark
- List of goods and services according to Nice Classification 8th edition (Classes 1-45)
- Priority date, country and number and the original Priority document which can be submitted subsequently within three months as from the Application date along with certified translation into local language. This term cannot be extended
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Applicant.

Registration Procedure:
- The Application is filed and examined with the Federal Intellectual Property Office
- The Office examines absolute and relative grounds for refusal
- The registration procedure takes three years as from the application date

Opposition:
- No opposition can be filed due to the fact that the Trademark Applications are not published in Yugoslavia. However, the observation of the interested parties can be filed with the Office.

Duration:
- Upon payment of ten years protection fees, the Trademark is valid for 10 years as from the application date
- Upon payment of renewal fees the Trademark will be extended for a further 10 years. The renewal fees can be paid during the last six months of previous ten years protection period or up to six months after the expiration date with a fine of 50% of the renewal fees.

Recording changes in the Register:

1. Assignment of rights
Requirements:
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignor
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignee
- Assignment document signed by the Assignor and the Assignee. Document must be legalized by the Apostille or notarized by Notary Public.

3. Change of address
Requirements:
- Power of Attorney indicating the new address, simply signed by a representative of the Company

Designs and Models

Filing the Application – Requirements
- name and address of the Applicant
- name and address of the author or notice that the author chooses not to be mentioned in the application
- information regarding the number of external shapes the protection is requested for
- full and short title of the industrial design
- a two-dimensional presentation of the shape being the subject of protection (photograph or a graphic presentation of the product the protection is requested for)
- description
- Power of Attorney simply signed by the representative of the Applicant. The PoA can be submitted subsequently within one month as from the receipt of the Official invitation. This term can be extended several times up to 6 months.

Registration Procedure
- The Industrial Design Application is examined by the Federal Intellectual Property Office. If the Application meets prescribed requirements, the Office is issuing the Decision on grant.
- The fees for the first five years of protection are payable once for five years period. From 6th to 15th year the fees are payable annually.

Duration
- 15 years as from the Application Date

3. Change of address
Requirements:
- Power of Attorney indicating the new address, simply signed by a representative of the Company.

Copyrights

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

As a member of the Berne Convention, it is possible to copyright protect creative works in this country as well as all the other member nations automatically (more than 160 countries), with one single application.

For more information and to submit us your works for worldwide copyright protection, click here.

Domain Names

Domain extension:

.rs

Requirements:
- co.rs The domain must be owned by a company (any country)
-in.rs The domain must be owned by a private person (any country)

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Republic of Serbia IP: Trademarks, Patents, Industrial Designs, Copyright and Domain Names