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.
Annuities: accumulated and due within three months after the granting decision; subsequent annuities are payable in advance, before the anniversary of the filing date.
Opposition: possible within three months after the date of publication of the patent application, and any time after the registration of the patent.
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 word mark applications in the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet is highly recommended.
Classification: International.
Obligation to use the registered mark: compulsory; if not used within five years after the registration date, the registration can be cancelled upon request of an interested party.
Duration - renewals: 10-year period from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods.
Opposition: possible within three months from the publication of the trademark application.
Duration – renewals: after formal and substantive examination: 10 years from the filing date, renewable for three consecutive 5-year periods.
Opposition: not provided for.
Duration – renewals: one year, renewable optionally for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 years.
Uniform dispute resolution procedure: none, but an administrative procedure other than UDRP is available.
Area: : 111,000 sq. km.
Population: 7,364,570 inhabitants (census 2011) .
Capital: Sofia, with 1,232,088 inhabitants (census 2011).
Language: Bulgarian.
Currency: Lev.
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.
Member of the European Union as of January 1, 2007.
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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