PROTECTION OF TRADEMARKS, PATENTS AND DESIGNS IN KOSOVO

Kosovo, although still formally a part of Serbia and Montenegro, has adopted its own Patent Act and is on the way of creating its own independent Intellectual Property Office. According to the formal proposition of the competent Ministry made to the Provisional Government of Kosovo, the date of inauguration of the Kosovo Intellectual Property Office should be March 31, 2006. Despite the fact that according to the Ministerial proposition the Office should be open on the last day of March of this year, there are still no guaranties that the Intellectual Property Office of Kosovo will be indeed open on March 31, 2006.

According to the Patent Act of Kosovo which entered into force on December 21, 2004, registered IP rights before the Serbia and Montenegro Intellectual Property Office will no longer be valid on the territory of Kosovo once Kosovo Intellectual Property Office is inaugurated. Therefore, revalidation of Intellectual Property rights registered in Serbia and Montenegro will be required in this jurisdiction. According to the Patent Act of Kosovo, the time span for revalidating the registered rights from Serbia and Montenegro to Kosovo will be limited to 12 months only. Therefore, urgent action from the owners of registered rights in Serbia and Montenegro will be needed if they are interested in maintaining their prior rights in Kosovo.

ZMP is the first office specialized in IP to be open in Kosovo

We are pleased to inform you that ZMP is the first law firm specialized in Intellectual Property Protection to register in Kosovo.

Until now ZMP has been very active in enforcement of Intellectual Property rights of large multinationals in the Kosovo area, particularly in anti-counterfeiting activities, where very satisfactory results have been secured.

Following entry into force of The Patent Act of Kosovo and as soon as the Intellectual Property Office of Kosovo is open to the public, ZMP will be ready to provide its clients with all services related to the prosecution of Intellectual Property rights in Kosovo.

If you would like to learn more about prosecution of IP rights before the future Intellectual Property Office, please contact us admin@zm-p.com.

Where to contact us

Due to the electricity shortages and problems in telecommunication installations in Kosovo, we would prefer if you would send your instructions and all queries related to Kosovo to one of the following addresses, at least for the time being, as this would assure the expedited and efficient receipt of your instructions::

HEAD OFFICE in Alicante, SPAIN:

Facsimile Nos.:

++ 34 96 516 03 63
++ 34 96 526 96 91

Telephone Nos.:

++ 34 96 515 42 44
++ 34 96 526 34 74

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 111 , Playa San Juan ,
03540 Alicante , Spain

Air Courier

Address: Edif. EBANO
Avda. San Sebastian No. 2/1
03540 Playa San Juan , Alicante
Spain

e-mail: admin@zm-p.com

For clients wishing to visit our local office in Kosovo, the details of our office in Prisitina, Kosovo are as follows.

ZMP Kosovo
Mera Barjaktari p.n.
Prishtina
Kosovo

Tel: +381 38 525225

fax: +381 11 2084 166

e-mail:kosovo@zm-p.com

If you would like to learn more about ZMP or its sister law firms in the neighboring countries of the Balkans region, please visit our web site www.zm-p.com

www.ipkosovo.com