On 1 January 2010, new trademark legislation came into force (Act No. 506/2009 )on trademarks, replacing old Act on the Trademarks (No. 55/1997 ).The Slovak Republic is a member of the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol. Since May 1st, 2004, the Slovak Republic has been a member of the European Union. Trademark protection is obtained by registration.
Trademark registration classification:
Nice Classification
Requirements:
- The applicant’s name, address, nationality (if applicable)
- Name of the trade mark and one copy of the mark (unless mark is word only).
- class(es) and specification of goods and/or services .
- A non-legalized power of attorney is sufficient.The legalization or notarization of a Power of Attorney is not required. After filing the application, the Office sets the term for filing the POA; usually, it is two months from filing the trademark application.
Procedure:
- The application is filed at the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic.
- The application process includes a formal examination, an examination of distinctiveness and a search for prior trademarks. Signs not deemed distinctive in the examination can be registered if distinctiveness is proven through use before filing the application of trademark.
- After the examination, the trademark application is published for 3 months in the monthly “Bulletin of Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic".
- The opposition period is 3 months. At the end of the opposition period, the trademark is registered and published if no opposition has been filed or opposition has been rejected.
- The duration from first filing to publication or first office action is approx. 4-6 months.
Duration and Renewal: Protection begins with the date of registration. A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from date of application. The registration is renewable for periods of 10 years.
Fee Structure
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