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

Area: 56,594 sq. km.
Population:4,290,000 inhabitants (estimated 2011).
Capital: : Zagreb.
Language: Croatian.
Currency: kuna.

GENERAL REMARKS

Croatia used to be a part of former Yugoslavia. The republic declared its independence on October 8, 1991. The former Yugoslav industrial property rights filed at the Yugoslav Patent Office before that date, could be re-registered at the Croatian Intellectual Property Office until their respective renewal dates.

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Patents of Invention

LEGAL BASIS

• Patent Law of the Republic of Croatia, effective from January 1, 2004, last amendment effective from May 7, 2011.
• Patent Rules, effective from November 14, 2007, amendment effective from June 15, 2011.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention, since October 8, 1991.
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), since July 1, 1998.

• European Patent Convention (EPC), since January 1, 2008 (designation of Croatia is possible as of April 1, 2004).

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney, no legalization;
• Specification and abstrac (German type);
• Drawings, if any;
• Certified copy of the priority application(s), if any;

REMARKS

National Phase of PCT: National phase of PCT: under Chapter I: 31 months; under Chapter II: 31 months.
Validity: patent issued after a formal examination - valid for 20 years. Consensual Patents (as of January 1, 2000): issued after a formal examination - valid for 10 years.
Annuities: are due for the third and each following year for patent applications, from the filing date.
Opposition: after the publication of a patent application, anyone may, within six months, file with the Office an objection to the grant of a consensual patent or a request for the substantive examination; after grant any time.

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Trade and Service Marks

LEGAL BASIS

• Trademark Law of the Republic of Croatia , effective as of January 1, 2004.
• Law on the Amending and Supplementing of the Trademark Law, in force since May 7, 2011.
• Trademark Rules, since June 2004, amendment effective from June 15, 2011.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention, since October 8, 1991.
• Madrid Agreement, since October 8, 1991.
• Madrid Protocol, since January 23, 2004.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney, not legalized;
• 2 prints (except for word marks), size: min. 1.5 x 1.5 cm, max. 8 x 8 cm;
• List of goods and services, grouped according to the international classification;
• Priority certificate, if any.

REMARKS

Kinds of protection: verbal, pictorial, three-dimensional and other designations 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 registration date may lead to cancellation.
Duration - renewals: 10-year period after the filing date or last renewal date.
Opposition: can be filed at the Office within three months after the publication of the trademark application, and a cancellation action can be initiated any time after the registration of the mark.

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Industrial Designs

LEGAL BASIS

• Industrial Design Law of the Republic of Croatia , effective as of January 1, 2004.
• Law on the Amending and Supplementing the Industrial Design Law, in force since May 7, 2011.
• Industrial Design Rules, since May 2004.
• Supplements to the Industrial Design Rules, in force since June 15, 2011.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention, since October 8, 1991.
• Hague Agreement, Geneva Act, since February 12, 2004.

FILING REQUIREMENTS

• Power of Attorney, not legalized;
• Specification of the model without claim, but the novelty has to be pointed out in the specification;
• A photograph or graphical representation of the design, size: from 3 x 3 cm to 16 x 24 cm ;
• Priority Document, if any.

REMARKS

Duration – renewals: after a formal examination: 25 years from the filing date.
Opposition: possible after registration, any time.

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Domain Names

LEGAL BASIS

• Regulations on the organization and administration of the top-level national internet domain, effective from July 2010.

FILING

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

REMARKS

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

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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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