Kosovo

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area: 10,908 sq. km.

Population: 1,977,093 (2024).

Capital: Pristina.

Language: Albanian (official), Serbian (official).

Currency: Euro.

GENERAL REMARKS

This former province, which was under United Nations’ administration (UNMIK), declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Kosovo is not a member of the UN and remains unrecognized by a number of States worldwide. The local IP Office was established and became operative on November 19, 2007, enabling filing of national patent, trademark and industrial design applications in Kosovo on the basis of Kosovo’s Industrial Property Laws.

PATENTS OF INVENTION

LEGAL BASIS

• Law No. 08/L-059 on Patents, published on January 20, 2022 in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, in force since February 4, 2022.
• Administrative Instruction (MIET) No. 14/2022 on the Procedure for Registration of Patents, in force since December 14, 2022.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Kosovo is not a member of any international conventions related to intellectual property matters, except the Hague Apostille Convention since July 14, 2016.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Specification, claims (EPO type) and abstract;
• Drawings (if any);
• Certified copy of the priority application(s), if priority is claimed;
• Power of Attorney, original or notarized copy; legalization not required (a general POA must be notarized; must be filed at application time).

REMARKS

Validity: issued after a formal examination and examination as to patentability and unity of the invention – valid for 20 years.

Annuities: are due for the third and each following year for patent applications and patents counting from the filing date.

Opposition: not provided for

TRADE AND SERVICE MARKS

LEGAL BASIS

• Law No. 08/L-075 on Trademarks, published on July 13, 2022 in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, in force since July 28, 2022.
• Administrative Instruction No. 08/2016 on Early Examination of Applications for Protection of Trademarks, in force since July 7, 2016.
• Administrative Instruction No. 08/2023 on Trademark Registration Procedures, in force since August 14, 2023.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Kosovo is not a member of any international conventions related to intellectual property matters, except the Hague Apostille Convention as of July 14, 2016.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• High quality electronic sample of the mark (for device marks), up to 8 x 8 cm;
• List of goods and services, classified in accordance with the International Classification;
• Priority certificate, if priority is claimed (must be filed within three months of the filing deadline);
• Power of Attorney, original or notarized copy; legalization not required (a general POA must be notarized; must be filed at application time).

REMARKS

Kinds of protection: verbal, pictorial, three-dimensional and other designations, in color or their combination. Service marks are registrable.

Classification: International.

Obligation to use the registered mark: compulsory. Non-use during any five-year period after the publication date may lead to cancellation.

Duration – renewals: 10 years from the filing date, renewable every 10 years.

Opposition: provided for within three months from the publication of the trademark application.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

LEGAL BASIS

• Law on Industrial Design No. 08/L-055, published on January 21, 2022 in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, in force since February 5, 2022.
• Administrative Instruction No. 03/2023 on Industrial Design Registration, in force since February 22, 2023.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Kosovo is not a member of any international conventions related to Intellectual Property matters, except the Hague Apostille Convention as of July 14, 2016.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Representation of the design suitable for reproduction (photographs or drawings, max. 7 different appearances);
• Priority certificate, if priority is claimed (immediately with the application for exhibition priority or for Union priority, must be filed within three months from the filing date);
• Power of Attorney, original or notarized copy; legalization not required (a general POA must be notarized; must be filed at application time);
• Description of the design (optional and up to 100 words);
• Request for deferment of publication of the registered design (optional).

REMARKS

Duration – renewals: after formal and complete examination: 25 years from the filing date.

Annuities: first five years of protection are paid upon invitation of the IP Office; thereafter, the maintenance fees are paid for 5-year periods upon owner’s own initiative.

Opposition: not provided for.

DOMAIN NAMES

There are no published regulations on domain name registration under the .ks country code top-level domain name for Kosovo.

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