In May, you were kind enough to join us for a party during the INTA annual 2008 in Berlin. Now let us return the favor by inviting you to browse through some
photos and a video of the event.

We have already received many messages that you enjoyed the party. Please feel free to keep giving us your feedback!

An assigned application number and the filing date will be sent to the applicant upon Examiner’s review of the application and will be included in Examiner’s first correspondence to the applicant concerning the application.

The IP Office in Croatia noted that regulations did not require issuing a certificate at the time of application and that the practice was time-consuming for its staff.

The IP Office hopes this change in procedure will reduce the time needed to process applications.

For more information, please contact Anamarija Stancic Petrovic or Ivan Kos.

Sunday, May 18th
9pm-2am at the Berlin Ballroom
Berlin Marriott Hotel
Potsdamer Platz

To RSVP, please email Judith Goeke.

Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin!

SD PETOSEVIC Team

Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko called the WTO membership “a decisive milestone in the development of our economy.”

For more information, please contact Judith Goeke.

For more information, please contact Judith Goeke.

Holders of .yu domain names will have priority to register .rs domains for six months from March 10, after which time applications will be taken on a first-come, first- served basis.

.yu domains are expected to continue to be valid until at least September 30, 2009, according to RNIDS.

Registration of .rs domains will be conducted through 27 Serbian companies accredited by RNIDS as the registrars of .rs domain names. A list of the accredited registrars, as well as detailed rules and procedures regarding registration and transition from .yu to .rs, are available in English on the RNIDS website.

For more information, please contact Branislav Krnetic or Judith Goeke.

For more information, please contact Loic Dufour.

If the proprietor of a trademark establishes that the non-use relates to reasons beyond his/her control, such evidence may be taken into consideration by the Board of Appeals.

For more information, please contact Anastasia Tokar.

The Montenegro Customs has also prepared a guide for customs officials to help them identify pirated CDs and DVDs. In the future, the Customs will issue a similar guide containing examples of counterfeit goods and guidelines for recognizing them.

For more information, please contact Tijana Radosevic in our Montenegro Office.

European patent applications that are filed on or after January 1, 2008 will include the designation of the new contracting state, HR. However, it will not be possible to designate Croatia retroactively in applications filed before January 1, 2008.

With respect to the PCT system and international applications, any PCT application filed on or after January 1, 2008 will automatically designate Croatia for the purpose of obtaining a European patent (Rule 4.9(a) PCT). However, European patents for Croatia cannot be granted on the basis of international applications with the filing date prior to January 1, 2008. A national patent may be granted assuming that Croatia has been designated in the international application. Moreover, International applications with the designation of Croatia with a filing date prior to January 1, 2008 shall be deemed invalid.

Currently, and in compliance with provisions of Article 103 (2) and (3) concerning extension of European patents to Croatia, the owner of European patent has to submit a full translation of patent specification in Croatian language. By entering into force of the EPC in Croatia, Article 65 of the Convention for the Grant of European Patents will automatically come into force, as well as Article 114 of the Croatian Law Amending the Law on Patents.

The provisions of Article 114 stipulates that the owner of a European patent will have to submit an English translation of patent specification or English translation of the specification and the Croatian translation of patent claims, where patent has been granted in a language of the proceedings other than English. English text of patent specification shall be regarded as authentic in any proceedings in the Republic of Croatia, except in revocations proceeding, where the translations in the Croatian language confers protection narrower in scope than that conferred by the extended European patent in the language of proceedings.

Nonetheless, in case of a dispute relating to the extended European patent, and upon request of the alleged infringer, or the competent court or other judicial authority in the course of legal proceedings, the owner of the European patent will still have to, at his own expense, provide full translation of the specification in the Croatian language (Article 114(3).

For more information please contact Anamarija Stancic at SD PETOSEVIC Croatia.

Most importantly, while .rs domains are scheduled to launch on January 10, 2008, the applications for .rs domains are being accepted now. We recommend preventative measures and advise all clients to submit applications now in order to reserve .rs domains before the expected launch in January 2008.

For more information please contact Branislav Krnetic in our Balkan Regional Office in Belgrade, Serbia.

For more information, please contact our Macedonia representative.

• Further Development of SIPO’s IT Support System

• Development of a Comprehensive Information Providing System

• Establishing Inter-Sectoral Coordination for More Efficient Enforcement of IP Rights (National IP Forum)

• Setting Up a Network for Cooperation with Universities and Schools in the field of Intellectual Property (IP Focal Points)

• Raising Public Awareness of the Importance of Intellectual Property

• Requiring Higher Qualification for Slovenian Patent Agents in Proceedings Before the EPO

For more information, please contact our Slovenia representative.

As stated above, the new Law supports the acceleration of issuing patents. It also provides to patent owners a full protection of their technical devises and the possibility of obtaining timely licensing for technologies.

Several amendments were also introduced in Trademark Law.

• Conditions governing re-registration of the Trademark.

When the term of the trademark registration expires, that trademark may not be re-registered in the name of a person other than the previous owner for a period of one year following the date on which the term of the registration ended. This condition shall also apply where the trademark owner has renounced the trademark prior to the expiration of the registration term.

Previous legislation allowed a period of three years following the date on which the term of the registration ended.

• Non-use grace period

Any interested party may file with Kazpatent a request for the trademark registration cancellation where the trademark has not been used in the three years following the registration date or in the five years preceding the filing date of the cancellation request. The request may relate to all or part of the goods specified in the certificate of registration and shall be considered by the Board of Appeals within six months following the date of its receipt.

Previous legislation allowed cancellation requests when the trademark has not been used in the five years following the registration date.

For more information please contact Anastasia Tokar.