Bulgarian Trademark Registration

BULGARIAN TRADEMARK REGISTRATION

Filing and Registration of Bulgarian Trademark at BPO - KTpatent.com

As a qualified Bulgarian Trademark Attorney with experience in innumerable trademark cases

I provide long-term support to your business with regard to trademark registrations (branding) and help to secure, maintain and protect your company’s reputation and the identity, individualism and integrity of the goods and services which you offer in Bulgaria.

We are skilled in the trademark management in the broadest sense. Not only do our trademark services encompass filing and prosecution of applications for registering Bulgarian Trademarks before the Bulgarian Patent Office, but also maintenance (trademark renewals), trademark monitoring, trademark enforcement and licensing of the obtained BG Trademarks after registration. Additionally, an intensive trademark management in close collaboration with our clients is also conducted, in order to keep their registered BG trademarks from turning into generic names and/or becoming diluted by improper use.

Although the whole process for obtaining a registered Bulgarian trademark is relatively short, it only takes between 6-9 months, it is not a routine administrative matter and may contain many pitfalls. Thus, our expertise is here to help you obtaining legally binding protection of your brand in one-go, avoiding any obstacles and without imposing additional costs.

We are familiar with the detailed procedure for Bulgarian trademark registration and are skilled in conducting preliminary trademark searches for collision with earlier trademarks. Hence, our clients save time and money, as we ensure that their BG trademark applications are prepared and filed in the appropriate trademark class(es) and avoid refusal on absolute or relative grounds. We additionally develop an appropriate strategy regarding the form of the trademark and how broadly or narrowly to describe the relevant goods or services and to represent the sign.

Our advice is not confined to the boundaries of Bulgaria only and we assist our clients in selecting new trademarks that best suit to their businesses, which in combination with our services of European Union Trademark Registration and International Trademark Registration might provide the best strategic approach globally.

In addition to the prosecution of the application for Bulgarian trademark applications with BPO, we also deal with problems which will arise in various circumstances in the course of BG trademark registration, such as objections raised by the examiner or trademark oppositions filed by a third party.

Upon registration, our clients receive full support and guidance in an opportune manner as to good trademark practice and/or use which will enhance the reputation of the trademark and maintain this as a permanent right and not diluting the original character of the registered BG trademark and thus impairing its value.

Finally, our dedication, individual approach towards every client and professionalism, results in an obtained protective trademark right valid for the territory of Bulgaria which brings value to our clients assets and TM portfolios.

OUR PROCESS OF REGISTERING A BULGARIAN TRADEMARK:

* REMARKS: 1) This is an approximate time scale; 2) Attorney fees are not included and all official fees are tentative

Getting acquainted with your business goals

0 WEEKS

Getting acquainted with your territorial goals, budget, products or services that you offer and your trademarks/signs/brands ideas and concepts.

Initial assessment of the sign

0 WEEKS

Initial assessment of the trademark signs per se and providing objective legal opinion on its registrability. In case your trademark is not considered to be a trademark, we provide you with recommendations as to how to convert your sign or brand into a “trademark” and perform the function of a trademark.

Preliminary Trademark Search

2-10 BUSINESS DAYS

For signs that perform the function of a trademark, we conduct free of charge trademark searches for collision with identical or confusingly similar earlier trademark rights. The duration of the search could be different depending on the signs, list of goods and services in question, etc.

Analysing the results from the preliminary search

5-10 BUSINESS DAYS

We strive to provide as objective as possible legal opinion on trademark’s chances for registration success based on the results, which are never 100% exhaustive.We are transparent and strive to “open your eyes” by not hiding the problematic results. On the contrary, we are objective with the negative results (if any) and provide you with our advice and recommendations for designing around the possible collisions. Otherwise, your registered TM might turn out to be a wrong investment and possibly detrimental for your business in the long run.

Filing an application for Bulgarian Trademark Registration

2-10 BUSINESS DAYS FROM STEP 1 / FILING DATE ACCORDED

After receiving a “green light” from the trademark search and our client, we meticulously prepare a legally strong application for protection of your trademark and coordinate it with you for a final approval. Upon acknowledgement of the final approval, we proceed further with filing and prosecution of the BG trademark application with BPO. The Official fees due at the filing stage are also paid, which amount to about 100 EUR and cover up to 3 classes of goods and/or services. A surcharge of 16 EUR is also levied for each class in excess of 3. Our filing report is forwarded to the client.

Publication of the BG Trademark Application and start of 3 months Opposition period

2-3 MONTHS FROM FILING DATE

Publication of your Bulgarian trademark application in the official Bulletin of the Bulgarian Patent Office and waiting a strictly fixed 3 months term (the so-called opposition period) providing opportunity to the third parties for filing objections and/or oppositions against your trademark based on absolute and/or relative grounds.

End of the Opposition Period

5-7 MONTHS FROM FILING DATE

The Opposition period terminates 3 months after the publication of the BG trademark application and if no oppositions have been lodged against the BG TM application in question, the Bulgarian Trademark Application is considered allowable and ready for registration. It must be highlighted that the herewith indicated period for opposition as above is in the case of a smooth and straightforward TM registration procedure, in particular in the case where the no opposition or objections by third parties have been filed against the processed trademark. In case of objections or filed oppositions, the period for registration depends on each case independently, and can even last about 1-2 years.

Registration of your BG trademark

8-9 MONTHS FROM FILING DATE

After the opposition period has lapsed and provided no oppositions or objections have been lodged against your BG TM application, we then register your Bulgarian Trademark and pay the respective official fees for registration, which amount to about 210 EUR. Your registered Bulgarian trademark is then published in the official bulletin of the Bulgarian Patent Office. The issued certificate for registration of a Bulgarian trademark is forwarded to the client together with our TM reports on registration. The prosecution process is closed and your TM is duly recorded in our database system for monitoring its term of protection. The term of protection of the registered Bulgarian trademark is 10 years as of the filing date.

Bulgarian Trademark Monitoring and Enforcement

WITHIN 10 YEARS

The trademark right is a vulnerable right. This is because trademarks are always in danger of turning into the generic name of an article or of being diluted if not properly used or if another similar TM registration impairs its distinctiveness and reputation. We keep watch on the use of our client's registered BG trademarks and prevent them from being improperly used. In case such improper use is detected, an appropriate action is immediately taken. If client desires, we can also provide him with our TM service of monitoring the TM registers for competitors' confusingly similar TM filings and lodging respective oppositions against them in due course.

BG Trademark Renewal

EVERY 10 YEARS

Upon completion of your BG registration (step 8), your TM details are entered in our files and we subsequently send you timely reminders for the trademark renewal – in due time before the 10 year period of protection of your registered BG trademark. The registration may be renewed indefinitely for consecutive periods of 10 years. The official fees for Bulgarian Trademark Renewal amount to about 160 EUR up to 3 classes and additional fees of about 30 EUR are levied for each subsequent class above the 3rd.

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EQE qualified European Patent & Trademark Attorney | Bulgarian Patent & Trademark Attorney

Bulgarian Trademark Registration