Administrative Instruction on Accelerated Examination of Trademark Applications Enters into Force in Kosovo

One of the most important novelties introduced by Kosovo’s new Law on Trademarks, in force as of September 8, 2011, is the possibility to request the accelerated examination of a trademark application. The Administrative Instruction, which was approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on January 12, 2012 and entered into force on the same date, spells the procedure and the grounds for requesting the accelerated examination, as well as the official fees.

The accelerated examination is only available if there has been an alleged infringement of trademark rights. When requesting such examination, the applicant must indicate the trademark filing details and submit:

• Copy of the trademark application as filed;
• Documents evidencing that a civil or a customs action was duly initiated;
• Documents evidencing trademark rights and the alleged infringement of such rights;
• Proof of payment of the official EUR 50 (USD 63) fee per trademark, regardless of the number of classes.

The accelerated examination request may be submitted at any time after the filing date, as no time frame is specified. The IPO will decide to grant or reject the accelerated examination request within 15 days from the filing date. The examination is to be performed under the provisions of the Law on Trademarks.

For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Kosovo IPO