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

Area: 64,589 sq. km.
Population:2,217,969 inhabitants (estimated 2010).
Capital: Riga.
Languages: Latvian (official) and Russian (still used).
Currency: Lats.

GENERAL REMARKS

Latvia was officially accepted as part of the USSR in August 1940. Latvia re-established its independence in 1991, joined NATO in 2004 and is a member of the European Community as of May 1, 2004.

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Patents of Invention

LEGAL BASIS

• Patent Law, in force since March 1, 2007, with amendments of October 14, 2010.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention, since September 7, 1993.
• Patent Cooperation Treaty, since September 7, 1993.
• Patent Law Treaty signed on June 2, 2000, not yet ratified.
• European Patent Convention since April 5, 2005.

FILING REQUIREMENTS (to be sent to resident agent for filing an application)

• Power of Attorney (no legalization for legal entities);
• Specification with claims and an abstract in English, German, French or Russian for translation into Latvian - 1 copy;
• Drawings (if applicable);
• Priority document (if applicable);
• A document on the deposit of the microorganism in an international depository authority (if applicable).

REMARKS

National Phase of PCT: under Chapter I: 31 months; under Chapter II: 31 months.
Validity: issued after examination - valid for 20 years from the filing date.
Annuities: are to be paid after the grant of the patent.
Opposition: may be filed within nine months of the date of the announcement of grant.

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Trade and Service Marks

LEGAL BASIS

• Trademark Law, effective July 15, 1999 ; last amendments October 14, 2010.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention, since September 7, 1993.
• Madrid Agreement, since January 1, 1995.
• Madrid Protocol, since January 5, 2000.

FILING REQUIREMENTS (to be sent to resident agent for filing an application)

• The mark (word mark or label) and the list of goods for which the mark should be protected;
• Power of Attorney (no legalization);
• 10 copies of representation of the mark (size: 5 x 5; 5 x 10; 8 x 8 cm);
• Priority document, if any.

REMARKS

Kinds of protection: trademarks comprising a word or device or a combination of both, two and three-dimensional designations. Individual and service marks are registrable.
Classification: International
Obligation to use the registered mark: compulsory. Non-use during any five-year period of effective registration allows any interested party to require cancellation of the registration.
Duration - renewals: 10-year period from the filing date, renewable for a further period of ten years.
Opposition: is possible within three months from the publication date.

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Industrial Designs

LEGAL BASIS

• Law on Industrial Designs, in force since November 18, 2004, amendments of February 8, 2007.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Paris Convention (Stockholm Act), since September 7, 1993 .

FILING REQUIREMENTS (to be sent to resident agent for filing an application)

• Name and address of the applicant;
• Name and address of the creator of the design;
• A description of the industrial design;
• A Power of Attorney simply signed, general one is accepted (may be filed within two months from the filing date);
• Priority document (can be filed within three months);
• Complete reproduction set of the industrial design, which provides a full and detailed idea of the external appearance; 10 photos of each view, not larger than 18 x 24 cm;
• Deed of Assignment, only if the applicant is not the same as the one shown in the priority document.

REMARKS

Duration - renewals: after formal examination: 5 years. Extension: four additional 5-year periods.
Opposition: third parties may contest the registration of a design before the Board of Appeal, within three months from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

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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: .lv
• Applicant: individuals and legal entities.
• Local Presence: not required.

REMARKS

Duration - renewals: one to five years.
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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