Registration of a trade mark in Bulgaria
Pursuant to the Bulgarian Law on Marks and Geographical Indications a trade mark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one person from those of another and being represented graphically. The right to a national trade mark shall be obtained by registration in the Bulgarian Patent Office and it shall arise as of the date of filing the trade mark application. The Bulgarian trade mark shall be registered for a period of ten years from the date of filing of the application and may be renewed for further periods of ten years against payment of fees.
Prior to filing a national trade mark, the latter shall be examined in terms of its registrability, i.e. whether the trade mark answers the statutory registration requirements. For this purpose, the sign which you would like to register as a trade mark shall be examined from the point of the so called absolute grounds for refusal relating to examination of the elements of which the trade mark consists.
If following the absolute grounds for refusal examination it is established that the sign chosen by you conform with the requirements set the by the law, prior to filing the trade mark application in the Patent Office it is recommendable that a preliminary search of the trade mark is conducted in terms of earlier identical or similar signs, enjoying protection for identical and/or similar goods and/or services. Thus, the risk of a possible refusal for registration due to earlier identical or similar trade marks may be minimized.
The following documents and information are needed for the purposes of filing a trade mark application for registration in the Bulgarian Patent Office:
1. Date for the applicant;
2. Name and/or representation of the trade mark;
3. List of the goods and/or services for which protection is sought;
4. Priority document – provided priority is claimed;
5. Power of attorney – simple written form.
Sofia, 11 April 2014