General Information | Patents of Invention
Trade & Service Marks | Industrial Designs | Domain Names
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General Information

Area: 111,000 sq. km.
Population: 7,801,273 inhabitants (estimated 2003).
Capital: Sofia, with 1,173,813 inhabitants (estimated 2001).
Language: Bulgarian.
Currency: Lev.

GENERAL REMARKS

Until the end of 1989, the People's Republic of Bulgaria was a country with a planned economy based on socialist (Marxist-Leninist) organization. Since 1990, dramatic political changes have taken place in Bulgaria. Both the political and economic structures are evolving towards more liberalization.

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Patents of Invention

LEGAL BASIS

• Patent Law, in force since June 1, 1993, with amendments of July 9, 2002.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm Act.
• Convention on Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• Budapest Treaty on the Acknowledgement of Filing Micro-Organisms for Patent Procedures.
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), as from May 21, 1984.
• European Patent Convention, as of July 1, 2002.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney (no legalization);
• 3 specifications;
• 3 sets of drawings size 21 x 29.7 cm (format A4);
• Priority Document, if priority is claimed.

REMARKS

National Phase of PCT: both under Chapter I and Chapter II: 31 months.
Validity: issued after full examination - valid for 20 years from filing date; Patents granted before June 1, 1993: fifteen years.
Annuities: accumulated and due within three months after the granting decision; subsequent annuities are payable after the anniversary of the filing date.
Opposition: possible after the grant of the patent.

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Trade and Service Marks

LEGAL BASIS

• Law on Marks and Geographical Indications, in force since December 15, 1999.
• Regulation for Drafting, Filing and Examination of the Applications for Registration of Marks and Geographical Indications.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm Act.
• Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Source of Goods, Stockholm Act.
• Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin, Stockholm Act.
• Madrid Agreement concerning the International Registration of Marks, as of May 1, 1985.
• Madrid Protocol, as of October 2, 2001.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney (no legalization);
• 5 prints (word marks excepted), size 7x 7 cm;
• Priority Document, if priority is claimed.

REMARKS

Kinds of protection: trademarks or service marks may consist of words *, including names of persons, letters, numerals, drawings, figures, form of the article or the packing thereof, combination of colors, sound signs or any combination of such signs.
(*Besides the original version, filing of wordmark applications in the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet is highly recommended).
Classification: International.
Obligation to use the registered mark: compulsory; if not used five years after the registration date the registration can be cancelled upon the request of an interested party.
Duration - renewals: 10-year period from the filing date, renewable for further periods of ten years.
Opposition: not provided for.

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Industrial Designs

LEGAL BASIS

• Law on Industrial Design, in force since December 15, 1999.
• Regulation for Drafting, Filing and Examination of the Applications for Registration of Industrial Design.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• The Hague Agreement (1960) for the International Deposit of Industrial Designs, Stockholm Act (1967).

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney, no legalization;
• As many photos or drawings necessary to obtain an exact idea of the design;
• 5 copies of each of the views according to point 2. Not smaller than ¾ cm and not larger than 14/24 cm,
• Brief description of the design (up to 100 words) only by initiative of the applicant;
• Priority document, if applicable.

REMARKS

Duration – renewals: after formal and substantive examination: 5 years, renewable for three consecutive periods of five years each.
Opposition: not possible.

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Domain Names

LEGAL BASIS

• There is no specific legislation although some regulations on the organization and management of country code top-level domain names do exist.

FILING

• ccTLD: .bg
• Applicant: individuals and legal entities.
• Local Presence: required.

REMARKS

Duration – renewals: one year.
Uniform dispute resolution procedure: none.

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More

If you wish more detailed information concerning intellectual property protection in this territory please contact us or order Katzarov’s Manual on Industrial Property®.

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