WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIOIP/N/1/BGR/I/2
12 October 2000
(00-4202)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English/
anglais/
inglés
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
LAWS AND REGULATIONS NOTIFIED UNDER
ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT
BULGARIA
The present document reproduces the text1 of the Law on Marks and Geographical
Indications, as notified by Bulgaria under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see document
IP/N/1/BGR /1/Add.1).
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À LA
PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD
BULGARIE
Le présent document contient le texte1 de la Loi sur les marques et les indications
géographiques, notifiée par la Bulgarie au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Accord (voir le document
IP/N/1/BGR /1/Add.1).
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL ARTÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO
BULGARIA
En el presente documento se reproduce el texto1 de la Ley de Marcas de Fábrica o de
Comercio e Indicaciones Geográficas, notificada por Bulgaria de conformidad con el párrafo 2 delartículo 63 del Acuerdo (véase el  documento IP/N /1/BGR/1/Add.1).
                                                     
1 In English only. The text in the original language is available for consultation by interested
Delegations at the WTO Secretariat./En anglais seulemen t.  Les délégations intéressées peuvent consulter le
texte dans sa langue d'origine, au Secrétariat de l'OM C./En inglés solamente.  Las delegaciones interesadas
podrán consultar en la Secretaría de la OMC el texto en su idioma original.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 2
LAW ON MARKS AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
(Published in State Gazette  No.81 of 14 September 1999,
in force as of 15 December 1999)
Chapter One
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Subject Matter
Art. 1  The present Law governs the conditions and procedures of registration of marks and
geographical indications, the rights evolving th erefrom, and the protection of such rights.
Field of Application
Art. 2  (1) The provisions of this Law shall appl y to Bulgarian natural persons and legal
entities and to foreign natural persons and legal entities from States members of internationaltreaties the Republic of Bulgaria is party to.
(2) With regard to foreign natural persons  and legal entities from other countries, the
present Law shall apply on the basis of r eciprocity as judged by the Patent Office.
Representation
Art. 3  (1) Any person having the right under this Law to perform actions before the Patent
Office can do this either personally or throug h a local industrial property representative.
(2) The persons as per paragraph 1 with no residence or headquarters in the Republic
of Bulgaria shall perform actions  before the Patent Office th rough a local industrial property
representative.
Fees
Art. 4  For all actions related to  filing applications, prior ities, registration, issuance of
certificates, registration renewals, entries, correction of mistakes, appeals against rejections,revocation and invalidation, exte nsion of terms, publications, international registrations,
information on the mark or geographical indica tion applied for, inquiries and extracts from
state registers, fees shall be collected by th e Patent Office under a Tariff endorsed by the
Council of Ministers.
State Register of Marks
Art. 5  The State register of marks shall be kept by the Patent Office, and it shall contain data
on all mark registrations and all s ubsequent entries related thereto.
State Register of Geographical Indications
Art. 6  The State register of geographical indications  shall be kept by the Patent Office, and it
shall contain data on a ll geographical indication registrations , user entries a nd all subsequent
changes related thereto.
Access to the State Registers
Art. 7  The state registers as per Articles 5 and 6 shall be public. Any person may apply for
information or an extract therefrom.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 3
File
Art. 8  (1) The Patent Office shall keep a file of each mark or geographical indication, the file
comprising all documents in the regi stration and the subsequent entries.
(2) The Patent Office shall give other par ties information on a mark or geographical
indication applied for following instructions by the President of the Office.
(3) The information as per paragraph 2 sha ll contain only data subject to publication
upon registration of the mark or geographical indication.
Chapter Two
MARKS
Section I
Registration
Definition
Art. 9 (1) Marks are signs which are capable of di stinguishing the goods or services of one
person from those of other persons, and can be  presented graphically. Such signs can be
words, including names of persons, letters, numeral s, drawings, figures, form of the article or
the packing thereof, combination of colors, sound signs or any combinations of such signs.
(2) A mark may be a trademark, a service ma rk, a collective mark or a certification
mark.
Acquisition of Mark Rights
Art. 10  (1) Mark rights shall be acquired through the registration thereof as from the filing
date of the application.
(2) The right to register shall have the first to file.(3) The right to a mark shall be an exclusive right.
Grounds for Refusal of Registration
Art. 11  (1) The following shall not be registered:
1. signs which are not marks within the meaning of Art. 9(1).2. marks which are devoid of any distinctive character.3. marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which have become customary
in the current language or in the established commercial practice in the Republic of Bulgaria.
4. marks which consist exclusively of si gns designating the kind, quality, quantity,
composition, intended purpose, value, geographica l origin, time or proc ess of manufacture of
the goods, manner of rendering the services, or other characteristics of the goods or services.
5. signs which consist exclusively of:
a) the shape of the goods resulting from their nature;b) the shape of the goods necessary to obtain a technical result;c) the shape of the goods considerably raising their value.
6. marks which are contrary to the public order and the principles of morality.7. marks which may deceive the users as to the nature, quality or geographical origin
of the goods or services.
8. marks which consist of or comprise coat s of arms, flags or other emblems, full or
abbreviated official names and imitations thereof of states or international intergovernmentalorganizations.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 4
9. marks which consist of or comprise offici al control and warranty signs and stamps,
where such signs and stamps serve to mark identical goods.
10. marks which consist of or comprise the coats of arms, the flag, symbols, medals,
the name of the Republic of Bulgaria or of Bulgarian state authorities.
11. marks which consist of or comprise th e name or the picture of monuments of
history and culture of the Republic of Bulgaria  as specified by the Ministry of Culture.
12. marks which consist of or comprise relig ious symbols or equivalents thereof, that
are well known in the Republic of Bulgaria.
(2) The provisions of paragraph 1(2, 3, 4) sh all not apply where the mark, as a result
of its use, has become distinctive in relation to  the goods or services for which registration is
requested.
(3) The provisions of paragraph 1(8, 9, 10, 11) shall not apply with the consent of the
respective competent authority.
Additional Grounds for Refusal
Art. 12  (1) A mark shall not be registered if:
1. it is identical with an earlier mark, and the goods or services of the mark applied for
registration and those of the earlier mark are identical;
2. due to its identity with or similarity to an earlier mark, and due to the identity or
similarity of the goods or services of the two marks, the users are likely to get confused,including likelihood of associa tion with the earlier mark.
3. it consists of a geographical i ndication or derivatives thereof.
(2) “An earlier mark”, within the meaning of paragraph 2, is:1. a registered mark with an earlier filing date or an earlier priority date, as
appropriate;
2. a mark applied for registration with an earlier filing date or earlier priority date, as
appropriate, if it gets registered;
3. a mark which is well known in the territory  of the Republic of Bulgaria on the mark
filing date or priority date, as appropriate.
(3) A mark shall not be registered if it is identical with or similar to an earlier mark
and is intended for goods or services which are not identical with or similar to those of the
earlier mark, where the earlier mark is a mark of renown in the territory of the Republic ofBulgaria and where the use without due cause of the mark applied for would take unfair
advantage of, or be detrimental to, the distin ctive character or repute of the earlier mark.
(4) The provisions of paragraph 1(2) and pa ragraph 3 shall not apply with the consent
of the prior mark holder.
Section II
Legal Effects of Registration
Rights Conferred by Registration
Art. 13  (1) The holder of a mark shall be entitled to use it, to dispose of it, and to prevent
other parties from unauthorized use in the co urse of business activity of any sign which:
1. is identical with the mark in relation to  goods or services which are identical with
those for which the mark is registered;
2. due to its identity with or similarity to the mark, and the identity and similarity of
the goods or services of the mark and the sig n, the users are likely to get confused, including
likelihood of associating the sign with the mark;IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 5
3. is identical with or similar to the mark in  relation to goods or services which are not
identical with or similar to those for which the mark is registered, where the mark is a markof renown in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, and where the use without due cause of
the sign takes unfair advantage of, or is detrimental to, the di stinctive character or renown of
the mark.
(2) “Use in the course of business activit y”, within the meaning of paragraph 1, is:
1. affixing of the sign to the goods or to the packaging thereof;2. offering of the goods bearing that sign for sale, putting them on the market or
stocking them for these purposes, as well as offe ring or rendering services with that sign;
3. imprort or export of goods bearing that sign;4. use of the sign in busine ss papers and advertisements.
(3) The exclusive right shall take effect with regard to other parties as from the date of
publication of the registration in the Official Bulletin of the Patent Office.
Limitation of Mark Rights
Art. 14  The holder of a mark shall not be entitled to prohibit another party from using the
following in the course of business activity, provided that such use is not contrary to the fairpractices in business matters:
1. his own name or address;2. information on the kind, quality, quantity,  intended purpose, value, geographical
origin, time of manufacture of the goods or render ing of the services, or other characteristics
of the goods or services;
3. the mark, where it is necessary to indi cate the intended purpose of the goods or
services, in particular when they are used as accessories or spare parts.
Exhaustion of Mark Rights
Art. 15  (1) The holder of a mark shall not be entitled to prohibit other parties from using it in
relation to goods or services that are put w ith that mark on the market in the country by
himself or with his consent.
(2) Paragraph 1 shall not apply where the right holder has good reason to oppose
further selling of the goods, especially wher e their condition has changed or got worse upon
putting them on the market.
Jointly Holded Marks
Art. 16  (1) A mark may be holded by two or more persons.
(2) Each co-holder may use the mark without the consent of the rest of the co-holders
and without accounting for that use before them, unless otherwise agreed on in writing.
Indication of Registration
Art. 17 When using the mark, the holder may indicate its registration by putting a circled
letter “R” near the mark.
Reproduction of Marks in  Books of Reference
Art. 18  If the reproduction of a mark in dictiona ries, encyclopaedia or other reference books
creates the impression that the mark represents th e generic name of the goods or services for
which it is registered, its holder may oblige the publisher of the respective reference book to
indicate, in its next edition at the latest, that the mark is a registered one.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 6
Obligation to Use the Mark
Art. 19  (1) If, within a period of five years follo wing registration, the mark holder has not put
it to genuine use in the territory of the Republic  of Bulgaria in connection with the goods or
services for which it is registered, or if such  use has been suspended during an uninterrupted
period of five years, the registration may be revoked, unless there are convincing reasons for
the non-use.
(2) In addition to the use as per Art. 13(2), the following shall also constitute genuine
use within the meaning of paragraph 1:
1. use of the mark in a form immaterially differing from the form in which the mark
was registered;
2. affixing of the mark to goods or to the packaging thereof in the Republic of
Bulgaria, irrespective of the fact that they are intended for export purposes only.
(3) Use of the mark with the consent of its holder shall be deemed to constitute use by
the holder himself.
Duration of Registration
Art. 20  (1) Marks shall be registered for a period of ten years following the filing date of the
application.
(2) Registration may be renewed, in accordance with Art. 39, for an unlimited number
of further ten-year periods.
Section III
Disposition of Mark Rights
Transfer of Marks Rights
Art. 21  (1) A mark may be transferred, independently of the transfer of the enterprise, in
respect of all or some of the goods or  services for which it is registered.
(2) Jointly holded marks shall be transferred only with the consent of all of the co-
holders, unless otherwise agreed on.
(3) The transfer shall be recorded in the State Register at the request of one of the
parties, the request being accompanied by a tr ansfer document. The new holder shall be given
a certificate.
(4) Where the transfer document makes it clear that, due to the mark transfer, the
users are likely to get confused with regard to the nature, quality or ge ographical origin of the
goods or services, the Patent Office shall not re cord the transfer, unless the goods or services
are confined to those that are not likely to cause confusion.
(5) The transfer shall take effect with regard to other parties as from the date of
recording it in the State Register.
(6) All documents the holder is to be info rmed of shall be a ddressed to the person
recorded last as a holder in the State Register.
(7) The provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 shall apply also in cases of transfer of
registration applications.
License Agreement
Art. 22  (1) A mark holder may permit the use of his mark with regard to all or some of the
goods or services it is registered for in a part or the whole territory of the Republic of
Bulgaria by a license agreement in writing.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 7
(2) The use of a jointly holded mark shall be permitted by the consent of all of the co-
holders in writing, unless otherwise agreed on.
(3) A license may be exclusive or non-ex clusive. Where the agreement does not
specify the kind of the license, it shall be considered non-exclusive.
(4) An exclusive license holder shall not be entitled to grant licenses with the same
subject matter to other persons. He shall be entitled to use the mark only in case this isexplicitly agreed on.
(5) A license agreement shall be recorded in the State Register at the request of the
licensee, the request being accompanied by an extract from the license agreement with data
identifying the licensee and the licenser, the mark  and its registration number, the term of the
license agreement, and the signatures and seals of both parties affixed thereto. The licenseeshall be given a certificate.
(6) The license agreement shall take effect with regard to other parties as from the
date of recording it in the State Register.
Section IV
Termination of Registration,
Revocation and Invalidat ion of Registration
Termination of Registration
Art. 23  (1) The validity of a registration shall be terminated upon:
1. expiration of the term as per Art. 20;2. surrender by the holder;3. final liquidation of the legal entity hol ding the registration, where there is no
transfer.
(2) Termination as per paragraph 1(3) sha ll be effected at the request of a person
concerned.
(3) Termination of the term of validity of a registration shall bring about lapse of the
mark right.
Surrender of Rights
Art. 24  (1) A mark holder may surrender his mark in  respect of all or some of the goods or
services for which it is registered by a written declaration filed with the Patent Office.
(2) A surrender of rights shall have effect as from the date of recording it in the State
Register.
(3) If there is a license agreement recorde d, surrender shall only be entered if the mark
holder furnishes proof that he has notified the licensee of his intention to surrender the mark.
Entry of the surrender shall be effected on expiry of two months as from the date of
furnishing the proof.
(4) Surrender of rights by one or severa l of the co-holders of a mark shall not
terminate the registration validity with regard to the rest of the co-holders.
Revocation of Registration
Art. 25  (1) Any person concerned may reques t revocation of a registration, if:
1. the mark has not been used as per Art. 19;2. as a result of the activity or inactivity of the holder the mark has become a common
name of the product or service in respect of which it is registered;IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 8
3. As a result of the use made of the ma rk by its holder or by another person
authorized by him in respect of the goods or services for which it is registered, the users getmisled as to the nature, quality or geogra phical origin of the goods or services.
(2) Paragraph 1(1) shall not apply, if the mark holder has started the genuin use of his
mark within the period between the expiry of the five-year term and the filing date of therevocation request. The start or resumption of the use within three months before the filingdate of the revocation petition sha ll not be taken into account, if the preparations for such use
or the resumption thereof have been made af ter the holder had learned of the likelihood of
such a petition being filed.
(3) Where the revocation petition concerns onl y some of the goods or services, the
registration shall be revoked in resp ect of those goods or services only.
Invalidation of Registration
Art. 26  (1) Any person may request invalidation of  a mark registration, where the mark has
been registered in violation of the provisions of Art. 11.
(2) Where the mark has been registered in violation of Art. 11, paragraph 1(2, 3 4),
the registration may nevertheless not be declared invalid, if the the holder offers proof that, in
consequence of the use which has been made of it, the mark has acquired a distinctive
character in relation to the goods or services for which it is registered.
(3) A mark registration shall be declared  invalid at the request of any person
concerned, if:
1. the mark is registered in violation of Art. 12;2. the mark is registered in the name of a person not meeting the requirements of Art.
2;
3. the mark is registered in the name of an industrial property agent or representative
of the holder without the consent thereof;
4. the applicant has acted in bad faith when  filing the application, this fact being
ascertained by an effective court order;
5. the use of a mark may be prohibited on th e grounds of an earlier right of another
person, such earlier right enjoying protection under another law, namely:
a) right on name and portrait;b) copyright;c) breeder’s right to a plant variety or animal breed;d) industrial property right
(4) A mark may also be declared invalid ex officio
 by the Patent Office, where it is
registered in violation of Arts. 11 and 12.
(5) A registration invalidation as per paragraph 3(1) shall not be eff ected, if the earlier
mark has not been used in accordance with Art. 19.
(6) A registration invalidation as per paragr aph 3(2, 3) shall not be effected, and the
mark shall be transferred to the pe rson concerned at the request thereof.
(7) A registration invalidation as per paragr aph 3(5) shall not be  effected, provided
that the earlier right holder gives his c onsent during the invalidation procedure.
(8) Where the invalidation grounds concern onl y some of the goods or services, the
registration shall be declared invalid with regard to those goods or services only.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 9
Restriction in Consequence of Acquiescence
Art. 27 (1) Where the holder of an earlier mark within the meaning of Art. 12(2) has
acquiesced, for a period of five successive years, in the use of a later mark while being awareof such use, he shall not be entitled, on the basis of his earlier mark, to request invalidation ofthe later mark or oppose the use thereof in respec t of the goods or services the later mark has
been used for, unless registration of the later mark was applied for in bad faith.
(2) Paragraph 1 shall apply also to earlier mark holders as per Art. 12(3) or earlier
right holders as per Art. 26, paragraph 3(5).
(3) In the cases as referred to in paragra phs 1 and 2, the later mark holder shall not be
entitled to oppose the use of the earlier mark, a lthough the earlier mark holder cannot refer to
his right to request invalid ation of the later mark.
Legal Consequences of Re vocation and Invalidation
Art. 28  (1) Revocation of a registration under Art.  25, paragraph 1(1) shall take effect as
from the beginning of the five-year period of non-use.
(2) Revocation of a registration under Art. 25, paragraph 1(2, 3) shall take effect as
from the filing date of the revocation request.
(3) Invalidation of a registration shall take effect as from the filing date of the
application.
(4) Revocation and invalidation of a registration shall not affect:
1. enforced court decisions concerning infringement, as far as executed prior to the
revocation or invalidation;
2. license agreements executed prior to  the revocation or invalidation, unless
otherwise agreed on.
Section V
Collective and Certification Marks
Collective Marks
Art. 29  (1) The collective marks are marks possessed by an association of producers, traders
or persons rendering services, the association be ing a legal entity. They serve to distinguish
the goods or services of the association members from the goods of other persons.
(2) The association must adopt Rules for th e use of collective marks, specifying: the
persons entitled to use the mark; the criteria for membership in the association; the conditions
for use of the mark and the grounds for prohib iting an association member from use of the
mark.
(3) Collective mark rights shall be non-tra nsferable. Persons who are not members of
the association may not get permission to use the collective mark.
Certification Marks
Art. 30  (1) Certification marks a ttest the composition, manner of  manufacture, quality, or
other characteristics of the goods or services produced or offered with the consent and under
the supervision of the mark holder.
(2) The mark holder must adopt Rules fo r the use of the certification mark,
specifying: the quality, composition or other ch aracteristics of the goods or services; the
control measures taken by the certification ma rk holder, and the sanctions imposed by him.
(3) The certification mark holder shall not be entitled to use it for the purpose of
marking the goods he produces or the services he renders.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 10
(4) A certification mark registration may be revoked, where the mark holder has used
it for the purpose of marking goods produced or services rendered by him.
Specific Provisions
Art. 31  (1) The holder of a collective or certification mark shall furnish the Patent Office
with the Rules for use thereof, as well as with information on all changes made in the Rules.Such changes shall take effect as from the date of communicationg them to the Patent Office.
(2) In addition to Art. 25, a collective or certification mark registration may be
revoked also where its holder ha s permitted or acquiesced use in  violation of the Rules for
use thereof.
(3) A collective or certification mark the registration of which is revoked or
terminated shall represent an obstacle to the registration of an identical or similar mark foridentical or similar goods or services in th e name of another person within three years
following the publication of th e revocation or termination.
Section VI
Proceedings at the Patent Office
Application
Art. 32  (1) Applications for the registration of marks shall be filed with the Patent Office.
(2) An application shall rela te to one mark intended for goods and/or services in one
or more classes under the In ternational Classification.
(3) An application shall contain:1. request for registration;2. name and address of the applicant;3. representation of the mark;4. list of the goods and/or services in resp ect of which the registration is requested.
(4) Where the application relates to a collective or certification mark, the Rules for
use thereof shall be filed along with the other documents as per paragraph 3.
(5) The application shall meet still other requirements as laid down in an ordinance of
the Council of Ministers.
(6) The application shall be accompanied by a document certifying payment of the
prescribed fees.
(7) The application documents and data sha ll be furnished in the Bulgarian language.
Filing Date
Art. 33  (1) Filing date of an application shall be the date on which the documents with the
data as per Art. 32(3, 4) are received in the Patent Office.
(2) Where the documents are filed in a language other than Bulgarian, the filing date
shall not change, provided that a translation thereof is filed with the Patent Office within aperiod of three months following that date.
Right of Priority
Art. 34  (1) An application shall enjoy a right of priority over subsequent applications for
identical or similar marks in respect of identical  or similar goods or services as from the date
of filing the application with the Patent Office as per Art. 33(1).IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 11
(2) The applicant shall enjoy a right of priority as from the date of a preceding
application, provided that:
1. the preceding application is regularly file d in a State party to the Paris Convention
or the World Trade Organization;
2. the preceding application is a first application within the meaning of Art. 4 of the
Paris Convention and re lates to the same mark and the same goods or services;
3. the application is filed within six months following the filing date of the preceding
application;
4. priority is claimed within two months from the filing date of the application with an
indication of the date and country of the preceding application; and
5. within three months from the filing date of the application, the applicant pays the
prescribed priority fee and presents a priority  document issued by the competent authority of
the country of filing of the preceding application.
(3) Regularly filed application as per paragr aph 2(1) is any application bearing a filing
date, irrespective of what happens to it later.
(4) The right of exhibition priority shall be deemed to exist as from the date of
displaying the goods or services bearing the ma rk at an official or  officially recognized
exhibition, provided that:
1. the application is filed within six months following the date of the first display of
the goods or services;
2. the application relates to the same mark and the same displayed goods or services;
3. priority is claimed within two months from the filing date of the application with an
indication of the date of display and th e country where the exhibition takes place;
4. within three months following the filing date of the application, the applicant pays
the prescribed priority fee and presents a document issued by the exhibition officials andcertifying the date of display of the goods or services bearing the mark applied for.
Claim of Colour
Art. 35  Claims of colour or a combination of colours shall be granted if filed along with the
application.
Examination as to Form
Art. 36  (1) Each application shall be subjected to examination as to its compliance with the
requirements of Art. 33 with regard to giving it a filing date. In case of failure to meet therequirements, the documents received sha ll be referred back to the applicant.
(2) An application bearing a filing date shall be examined as to its compliance with
the requirements of Art. 32(2, 4, 5, 6, 7). In case of deficiencies, the applicant shall be given
three months to eliminate them.
(3) Where the application does not meet the requirements of Art. 32(2) and, within the
term as per paragraph 2, the applicant divides th e application, the divisional applications shall
keep the filing date or the priority date, as appropriate, of the original application.
(4) If the applicant fails to eliminate the deficiencies within the term as per paragraph
2, the proceedings sh all be discontinued.
Examination as to Substance
Art. 37  (1) An application meeting the formal regularity requirements shall be subjected to
examination as to substance.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 12
(2) Where a mark is inelegible for registrati on in respect of all or some of the goods or
services, the applicant shall be  duly notified thereof; he shall be informed of the grounds of
the refusal and given three months to respond.
(3) Where the mark contains an element which, in itself, is inelegible for registration
as a mark under Art. 11, paragraph 1(2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11), the applicant may be requested,
as a condition for registration of the mark, to disclaim the exclusive right to that element.
(4) Where, within the term as per paragraph 2, the applicant fails to present an
argumented objection and/or restrict the list of goods or services, or fails to comly with the
requirements as per paragraph 3, a decision sh all be taken to refuse the registration.
(5) Where the mark is found to comply w ith the provisions of the Law, a decision
shall be taken to register it. The registration shall be entered in the State Mark Register and,within one month, the applicant shall be issued a registration certificate.
Withdrawal, Restriction and Amendment of Application
Art. 38  (1) Until a decision is taken on the app lication, the applicant may withdraw it or
restrict the list of goods or services in respect of which the mark is applied for.
(2) No changes are allowed in the appli cation, except for cases where the name or
address of the applicant have changed or there are mistakes in the name or address of theapplicant or glaring mistakes that have to be  corrected, on condition that such corrections do
not affect the representation of the mark or extend the list of goods or services.
(3) The corrections as per paragraph 2 sh all be made upon request of the applicant.
Renewal of Registration
Art. 39  (1) A registration shall be renewed at th e request of the mark holder, the request
being accompanied by a document certifying payment of the prescribed fee.
(2) The request shall contain the registrati on number of the mark and data identifying
the holder.
(3) The request may be submitted during the last year of the term as per Art. 20(1) or
within six months upon expiry of that te rm against payment of an additional fee.
(4) Where the mark holder requests renewal of  the registration for only a part of the
goods or services the mark is registered for, he shall indicate the goods or services for which
renewal is requested.
(5) In case of failure to meet the requireme nts of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, renewal of the
registration shall be refused by decision of the President of the Patent Office.
(6) Renewal shall take effect as from the day following the date of expiration of the
preceding registration.
Changes in the Name and Address of the Holder
Art. 40  (1) The mark holder shall notify the Patent Office of any change in his name or
address within three months after such changes occur.
(2) The change shall be recorded in the State Register at the request of the holder.(3) All documents the holder is to be informed of shall be sent to the last address
recorded in the State Register.
Changes in the Mark
Art. 41  (1) No changes shall be made in the mark during the term of validity of the
registration or on renewal thereof.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 13
(2) Where the mark includes the name or address of the holder, any change therein
may be made at the request of the holder, provi ded that such changes do not affect materially
the mark as registered.
Opposition Proceedings
Art. 42  (1) The Appeals Department shall consider:
1. appeals against decisions to re fuse registration under Art. 37(4);
2. appeals against decisions to terminate the proceedings as per Art. 36(4);3. registration revocation petitions as per Art. 25;4. registration invalidation petitions as per Art. 26.(2) The boards for consideration of appeals shall consist of three state examiners, one
of them being a legal expert, while the boards for consideration of petitions shall consist offive state examiners, two of  them being legal experts.
(3) The boards as per paragraph 2 shall be appointed by the President of the Patent
Office.
Terms
Art. 43  (1) Appeals shall be filed within three months following the notification date of the
decision.
(2) Requests may be filed during the whol e term of validity of the registration.
(3) No proceedings shall be initiated with re gard to appeals in case of failure to file
them within the prescribed term, neither shall proceedings be initiated with regard to appealsand petitions in case of failure to pay, on filing them, the prescribed fees.
Contents of Appeals and Petitions
Art. 44  (1) An appeal shall be well-grounded, a nd it shall contain data identifying the
appellant and the application.
(2) A petition shall be well- grounded, and it shall contai n data identifying the
petitioner and the mark registration.
(3) In case of deficiencies, the appellant or the petitioner shall be given one month to
eliminate them. In case of failure to eliminat e the deficiencies within that term, the
proceedings shall be terminated.
Passing Judgement on Appeals
Art. 45 (1) Where an appeal is found groundless, the decision shall be confirmed by the
President of the Patent Office.
(2) Where an appeal is well-founded, the d ecision shall be reversed and a decision
shall be taken to register the mark or to refer the application back for reconsideration.
(3) Where a decision to refuse registra tion is reversed upon reconsideration, a
decision as to substance shall be taken by the President of the Patent Office.
Petition Proceedings
Art. 46  (1) A copy of the petition shall be sent to the mark holder, giving him three months to
respond.
(2) Where the petition is groundless, the Pres ident of the Patent Office shall take a
decision to reject it.
(3) Where the petition is well-founded, the Pres ident of the Patent Office shall take a
decision to revoke or invalidate, in part or whole, the registration of the mark.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 14
(4) In cases of partial revocation or inva lidation of the registration, the registration
certificate issued shall be replaced by a new one.
Extension of Terms
Art. 47  The terms referred to in Arts. 36(2), 37(2) and 46(1) may be extended, at the request
of the applicant or the holder, by three months  on expiration thereof, but no more than twice.
An extension request shall not be granted if not accompanied by a document certifyingpayment of the prescribed fee.
Renewal of Terms
Art. 48  The applicant or the holder may request renewal of terms exceeded owing to special
unforseen circumstances. The request shall be  filed within three months upon elimination of
the cause for exceeding the term, but no later than one year following the expiration of theterm exceeded. Decisions to renew terms shall be taken by the President of the Patent Office.
Publication in the Official Bulletin
of the Patent Office
Art. 49  The Patent Office shall effect publication in its Official Bulletin of all mark
registrations and subsequent entries thereof within three months at the latest following entryin the State Register of Marks.
Review by Court
Art. 50  (1) Decisions as per Art. 45(1) and Art. 46 may be appealed against before the Sofia
City Court within three months upon notification thereof.
(2) Cases of refusal to effect entry in the state registers or renew registration may be
appealed under the Law on Administrative Procedures.
Chapter Three
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
Section I
Registration
Definition
Art. 51  (1) Geographical indications mean appellati ons of origin or indications of source.
(2) An appellation of origin is the name  of a country, region or locality in that
country, which serves to designate the goods  originating therefrom, and the quality or
characteristics of which are due essentially or  exclusively to the geographical environment
including natural and human factors.
(3) An indication of source is the name of a country, region or locality in that country,
which serves to designate the goods originatin g therefrom, whose quality, reputation or other
characteristics can be attributed to that geographical origin.
Grounds for Refusal or Registration
Art. 52  A name shall not be registered as a geographical indication, if:
1. it has turned into a generic name, in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, of
goods of a certain kind without any associa tion with the place of production thereof;IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 15
2. it is identical with the name of a plant variety or animal breed registered earlier,
where the users are likely to get deceived as to the true origin of the goods;
3. it is identical with a geographical indication or mark registered earlier for identical
goods;
4. it is identical with or similar to a geographical indication or mark registered earlier
for identical or similar goods, where ther e is likelihood of misleading the users.
Legal Protection
Art. 53  (1) Legal protection of geographical i ndications shall be granted through the
registration thereof with the Patent Office
(2) The legal protection shall cover prohibition from:1. any commercial use of the geographical i ndication in respect of goods which are
similar to the goods it is registered for, in so far as the renown of the registered geographical
indication is taken advantage of;
2. incorrect use or counterfeit of the geog raphical indication, ev en where the genuine
origin of the goods is designated, use of a tr anslation thereof, or use in combination with
terms such as “sort”, “kind”, “type”, etc.;
3. use of any other incorrect or deceiving indication of the source, origin, nature or
essential propertie s of the goods designated on the packaging thereof, in advertising materials
or papers concerning the goods, such indicati on being likely to mislead as to the genuine
origin of the goods;
4. any other actions that may deceive the users as to the true origin of the goods.(3) Registered geographical indications may not turn into generic names as long as
they enjoy protection under the present Law.
Right of Filing Application
Art. 54  (1) The right to file applications shall have any person who carries out his production
activity in the indicated geographical locality,  and the goods he produces correspond to the
respective properties or peculiarities.
(2) The geographical locality borders and th e properties or peculia rities of the goods,
as well as the relationship between such properties or peculiarities and the geographicalenvironment or geographical origin, shall be de fined or established by the respective central
authority by order of the head thereof.
User Right
Art. 55  (1) A registered geographical indication ma y be used only by the person registered as
the user thereof.
(2) The recorded user may use the geogra phical indication only in respect of the
goods it is registered for. He may affix it to the goods or the packaging thereof, advertisingmaterials, business papers concerning the goods, etc.
Termination of Legal Protection
Art. 56  The legal protection of a registered ge ographical indication shall be terminated,
where the relationship between the propertie s or peculiarities of the goods and the
geographical environment exists no longer.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 16
Invalidation of Registration
Art. 57  (1) Any person concerned may request i nvalidation of a registered geographical
indication, where it is established, under procedures  of claim, that the geographical indication
is registered in violation of Art. 51(2,3) and Art. 52.
(2) The registration of a foreign geographi cal indication shall be declared invalid
following invalidation thereof in the country of origin.
Cancellation of User Entry
Art. 58  A user entry may be cancelled at the request of any recorded user, where it is
established by means of procedures of appeal  that the user makes use of the geographical
indication with regard to other goods, or the goods produced by him do not possess the
respective properties or peculiarities.
Legal Effects of Invalidation and Cancellation
Art. 59  (1) A registration invalidation shall take effect as from the filing date of the
application.
(2) A user entry cancellation shall take effect as from the date of the cancellation
petition.
(3) Invalidation or cancellation shall not affect  effective court orders for infringement,
in so far as executed prior to the invalidation or cancellation.
Section II
Proceedings at the Patent Office
Filing Application
Art. 60  (1) Applications for the registration of geogr aphical indications shall be filed with the
Patent Office.
(2) An application shall relate to one geographical indication only.
(3) The application shall contain:1. registration request form;2. name and address of the applicant;3. the appellation of origin or the indication of source;
4. designation of the goods;5. description of the geographical locality borders; and6. description of the estab lished properties or peculiar ities of the goods and their
relationship with the geographical e nvironment or geographical origin.
(4) The application shall be accompanied by a copy of the order as per Art. 54(2) and
a document issued by the respective municipality and certifying that the applicant carries outhis production activity in the re spective geographical locality.
(5) Where the applicant is a foreigner, the application shall be accompanied by a
document certifying registration of the geogra phical indication in the country of origin.
(6) The application shall meet still other requirements as laid down in an ordinance
adopted by the Council of Ministers.
(7) The application shall be accompanied by a document certifying payment of the
prescribed fees.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 17
Examination as to Form
Art. 61  (1) Each application shall be subjected to examination as to its compliance with the
requirements of Art. 60. In case of deficiencies , the applicant shall be given three months to
eliminate them.
(2) If the applicant fails to eliminate the deficiencies within the term as per paragraph
1, the proceedings sh all be discontinued.
Examination as to substance
Art. 62  (1) An application meeting the formal regularity requirements shall be subjected to
examination as to substance within 18 months.
(2) Where there are grounds to refuse regi stration of a geographical indication, the
applicant shall be duly notified thereof; he sha ll be informed of the grounds of the refusal and
given three months to respond.
(3) Where, within the term as per paragraph 2, the applicant fails to present an
argumented objection, a decision shall be  taken to refuse the registration.
(4) Where the geographical indication is f ound to comply with the provisions of the
Law, a decision shall be taken to register it. The registration shall be entered in the StateRegister of Geographical Indications. The appli cant shall be recorded as a user and, within
one month, he shall be issued a certificat e for the use of the geographical indication.
Registered Geographical Indication User Entry
Art. 63  (1) Any person entitled to file applications may file an application for registered
geographical indication user entry.
(2) The application shall contain:1. user entry request;2. name and address of the applicant;3. the geographical indication and the registration number.(3) The application shall be accompanied by a document issued by the respective
municipality and certifying that the applic ant carries out his production activity in the
respective geographical locality, as well as by a document issued by the respective centralauthority and certifying that the goods produced by the applicant possess the respectiveproperties and peculiarities characteristic of the geographical indication.
(4) The application shall be accompanied by a document certifying payment of the
prescribed fees.
(5) Each application shall be examined as to its compliance with the provisions of
paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4. In case of deficiencies , the applicant shall be given three months to
eliminate them.
(6) If the applicant fails to eliminate the deficiencies within the term as per paragraph
5, the proceedings sh all be discontinued.
(7) Where the user entry application suits the requirements of paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and
4, the applicant shall be recorded as a user in the State Register of Geographical Indications,and he shall be issued a certificate fo r the use of the geographical indication.
Proceedings at the Appeals Department
Art. 64  (1) The Appeals Department shall consider:
1. appeals against decisions to re fuse registration under Art. 62(3);
2. appeals against decisions to terminate the proceedings as per Art. 61(1) and Art.
63(6).IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 18
(2) Appeals shall be considered under the provisions of Arts. 42(2), 43 and 44.
Passing Judgement on Appeals
Art. 65  (1) Where an appeal is found groundless, the decision shall be confirmed by the
President of the Patent Office.
(2) Where an appeal is well-founded, the d ecision shall be reversed and a decision
shall be taken to register the geographical i ndication or to refer the application back for
reconsideration.
(3) Where a decision to refuse registration is reversed, a decision as to substance upon
reconsideration shall be taken by the President of the Patent Office.
Extension and Re newal of Terms
Art. 66  (1) The terms referred to in Arts. 61(2) , 62(2) and 63(5) may be extended by three
months, at the request of the applicant filed pr ior to the expiration thereof, but no more than
twice. An extension request shall not be gran ted if not accompanied by a document certifying
payment of the prescribed fee.
(2) The applicant or the user may request renewal of terms exceeded owing to special
unforseen circumstances. The request shall be  filed within three months upon elimination of
the cause for exceeding the term, but no later than one year following the expiration of theterm exceeded. Decisions to renew terms shall be taken by the President of the Patent Office.
Publication in the Official Bulletin
Art. 67  The Patent Office shall effect publication in its Official Bulletin of all geographical
indication registrations and subsequent changes thereof.
Review by Court
Art. 68  Decisions as per Art. 65(1) and Art. 46 ma y be appealed against before the Sofia City
Court within three months upon notification thereof.
Chapter Four
INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION
International Registration of Marks
Art 69  (1) International registration of marks is a registration carried out by the International
Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Or ganization, hereinafter referred to as “the
International Bureau”, under the provisions of the Madrid Agreement.
(2) The international registration of a mark designating the Republic of Bulgaria shall
have the same effect as if directly applied for and registered in the Republic of Bulgaria. Itshall take effect as from the date of the international registration or from the date of theterritorial extension registration.
(3) An international registration may be re fused protection in the Republic of Bulgaria
within the term as prescribed by the Madrid Agreement.
(4) The holder of an international registrati on having effect in the territory of the
Republic of Bulgaria, who has an  earlier national registration of the same mark, may file a
request with the Patent Office, said request being accompanied by proof of payment of theprescribed fee, for the international registration to be regarded as substituting the nationalregistration, preserving all rights acquired thereby.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 19
International Registra tion of National Marks
Art. 70  (1) Any Bulgarian natural person or legal entity, or any person with permanent
residence or with actual commercial activity in the Republic of Bulgaria, who is the holder ofa mark registered under this Law, may apply for the international registration of that mark.
(2) The application shall be filed with the International Bureau through the Patent
Office.
(3) International registration fees shall be paid by the applicant to the International
Bureau.
International Registration of Appellations of Origin
Art. 71  (1) International registration of appellations of origin is a registration executed by the
International Bureau under the Lisbon Agreement.
(2) The international registration of an appellation of origin designating the Republic
of Bulgaria shall have the same effect as if directly applied for and registered in the Republicof Bulgaria. Such an appellation of origin may not turn into a generic name as long as it isprotected in the country of origin.
(3) An international appellation of origin may be refused protection in the Republic of
Bulgaria within the term provided for in the Lisbon Agreement.
International Registration of Bu lgarian Appellations of Origin
Art. 72  (1) The recorded user of a registered appellation of origin may file an international
registration application.
(2) The application shall be filed with the International Bureau through the Patent
Office.
(3) The international registration fees shall be paid by the applicant to the
International Bureau.
Chapter Five
PROTECTION OF MARK AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION RIGHTS
Section I
Infringements
Infringement of Registered Marks
Art. 73  (1) Any person who, in his business activity, uses a sign within the meaning of Art.
13 without the consent of the holder thereo f, shall be regarded as an infringer.
(2) The following shall constitute an infringement too:1. affixing of the mark to a material to be used for labeling or packing, for business
papers or for advertising of goods or servi ces, if the person who carries out those activities
knows or has good reasons to know that the mark  has been affixed without the consent of its
holder;
2. manufacture of means specially intended for or adapted to reproduction of the
mark, or possessing or storage of such means, if the person who carries out those activitiesknows or has good reasons to know that the mean s serves or will serve for the manufacture of
goods or of a material as per item 1 without the consent of the mark holder.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 20
Infringement of Registered Geographical Indications
Art. 74  (1) Any use of a registered geographical indication as per Art. 53(2) shall constitute
an infringement.
(2) Any use of a registered geographical i ndication by a person who is not recorded as
a user thereof shall constitute an infringement too.
Section II
Civil Law Protection
Right of Action
Art. 75  (1) The holder of a mark is entitled to bring an infringement action.
(2) An exclusive licensee has the right to bring an action, if the holder of the mark
fails to exercise this right within one month following the date on which the licensee receivesa notification of the infringement.
(3) A non-exclusive licensee may bring an ac tion with the consent of the holder only,
unless otherwise agreed on in the contract.
(4) Any recorded user of a registered geographical indication shall also be entitled to
bring actions.
Infringement Actions
Art. 76  (1) Infringement actions under this Law may concern:
1. establishment of the fact of infringement;2. suspension of the act of infringement;3. compensation for damages suffered.(2) The following may be requested too along with the action as per paragraph 1:1. processing or destruction of the object of infringement;
2. publication of the court decision in two daily publications at the expense of the
infringer.
Cognizance
Art. 77  All actions under this Law shall fall within  the cognizance of the Sofia City Court.
Section III
Border Controls
Grounds and Field of Application
Art. 78  (1) Goods carried through the border of the Republic of Bulgaria and bearing a
registered mark without the consent of its hol der or an imitation thereo f shall be detained by
the customs officials at the written request of the holder.
(2) The detention request shall contain a deta iled description of the articles. It shall be
accompanied by a copy of the mark registration certificate and a document certifying that theregistration is valid, both documents being issued by the Patent Office.
(3) Where the mark holder’s residence or headquarters are abroad, he shall give a
summons serving address in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
(4) Small quantities of goods intende d for non-commercial or non-production
purposes, as well as transit g oods, shall not be detained.IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 21
(5) The provisions of paragraphs 1, 2, 3 a nd 4 shall apply also to the detention of
goods unlawfully bearing a registered geogra phical indication or an imitation thereof. Any
registered user may file a detention request.
Actions Initiated by the Customs Authorities
Art. 79  The customs officials may detain, on thei r initiative, goods that they have good
reasons to regard as infringing regist ered marks or geographical indications.
Additional Regulation
Art. 80  The procedures and manner of application of  this section shall be determined by an
ordinance of the Council of Ministers.
Section IV
Administrative Penal Provisions
Art. 81  (1) A fine or a property sanction of 500 to 5000 BGL shall be imposed on any person
who offers for sale, puts on the market or st ocks for these purposes goods bearing a sign
which is identical with or similar to a regist ered mark without the consent of the holder
thereof.
(2) The infringing goods shall be seized, irrespective of whose property they are, and
they shall then be destroyed, the owner ther eof or an authorized person being allowed to
witness the process of destruction.
(3) The President of the Patent Office shall appoint the official to  draw up a statement
of infringement.
(4) Penal injunctions shall be issued by  the President of the Patent Office.
(5) Statements of infringement shall be  drawn up and penal injunctions shall be
issued, appealed or executed under the provisions  of the Administrative Offence and Penalty
Law.
(6) The provisions of paragraphs 1 to 5 sha ll apply also in cases of unlawful use of a
registered geographical indication or an imitation thereof.
ADDITIONAL PROVISION
§ 1. Within the meaning of this Law:
1. “person” means a natural or a legal person;2. “local industrial property representative”  is any person who is a representative
within the meaning of Art. 3 of the Patent Law;
3. “well-known mark” is a mark within the m eaning of Art. 6 of the Paris Convention,
regarded as such in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria on the basis of generallyaccessible information;
4. “Paris Convention” is the Paris Conve ntion for the Protection of Industrial
Property, concluded on 20 March 1883, w ith its revisions and amendments;
5. “official or officially recognized exhibition” is an official or officially recognized
exhibition within the meaning of the Convention of 22 November 1928 relating tointernational exhibitions organized in th e States party to the Paris Convention;
(6) “international classifica tion” is the International Classification of Goods and
Services for the Purposes of Registering Ma rks, established by the Nice Agreement of 15
June 1957, and its revisions and amendments;IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 22
(7) “Madrid Agreement” is the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International
Registration of Marks, concluded on 14 Apr il 1891, with its revisions and amendments,
ratified on 3 February 1984 by Decree No. 4312;
(8) “Lisbon Agreement” is the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations
of Origin and their International Registra tion of 31 October 1958, with its revisions and
amendments, ratified on 11 March 1975 by Decree No. 523;
(9) “imitation of a mark” is a sign which does not differ substantially from a
registered mark;
(10) “imitation of a geographical indication” is an indication which does not differ
substantially from a registered indication;
(11) “incorrect use of a geographi cal indication” means unlawful use.
TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
§ 2 (1) This Law shall apply also to applicati ons for the registration of marks and appellations
of origin, which are still pending and there ar e no decisions on the registration, rejection or
invalidation thereof at the time this Law comes into force.
(2) Applications as per Art. 17 of the Law on Trademarks and Industrial Designs,
filed prior to the date of entry into force of the present Law, shall be considered in accordancewith the provisions prevailing hetherto.
(3) The rights as per Art. 9 of the Law on Trademarks and Industrial Designs may be
applied for within one year upon enforcement of the present Law at the request of any person
concerned.§ 3 Appellations of origin, registered under th e Law on Trademarks and Industrial Designs,
shall be re-registered under the present Law within two years upon entry into force thereof.§ 4 This Law shall override sections I, III, IV and V of the Law on Trademarks and Industrial
Designs (published  State Gazette No. 95/1967; amended Nos.55/1975, 56/1986 and
27/1993).§ 5 The following changes shall be made in the Commercial Law (published  State Gazette
No.48/1991; amend. No. 25/1992, Nos. 61, 103/1993, No.63/1994, No. 63/1995, Nos. 42, 59,83, 86, 104/1996, Nos. 58, 100, 124 /1997, Nos. 52, 70/1998, Nos. 33, 42, 64/1999):
1. In Art. 587(1), “trade” shall be deleted a nd “layout designs of integrated circuits”
shall be added after “mark”;
2. Article 588 sh all be revoked;
3. In the title and in Art. 594(1, 2), the term “trademark” shall be replaced by “mark”.
§ 6 In the Cirminal Code (published  St ate Gazette No.26/1968, rev. No.29/1968; amend. No.
92/1969, Nos. 26, 27/1973, No. 89/1974, No. 95/1975, No. 3/1977, No. 54/1978, No.89/1979, No. 28/1982; rev. No. 31/1982; ame nd. No. 44/1984, Nos. 41, 79/1985; rev. No.
80/1985; amend. No. 89/1986; rev. No. 90/1986;  amend. Nos. 37, 91, 99/1989, Nos. 10, 31,
81/1990, Nos. 1, 86/1991; rev. No. 90/1991; amend. No. 105/1991, No. 54/1992, No.10/1993, No. 50/1995, No. 97/1995 - Decision N o. 19/1995 of the Constitutional Court;
amend. No. 102/1995, No. 107/1996, Nos. 62, 85/1997; No. 120/1997 - Decision No.19/1997 of the Constitutional Court; amend. Nos. 83, 85, 132, 133, 153/1998, Nos. 7,51/1999), Art. 227 shall read as follows:
“Art. 227.   Any person using a mark, industria l design or layout design of integrated
circuits without the consent of the holder th ereof, shall be sentenced to a three years’
imprisonment, or a fine of up to five  thousand BGL shall be imposed on him.”IP/N/1/BGR/I/2
Page 23
§ 7 In Art. 12(3) of the Law on the Protecti on of New Plant Varieties and Animal Breeds
(Published  State Gazette No. 84/1996; rev. N o. 27/1998), the terms “t rademark, appellation
of origin” shall be replaced by “mark, geographical indication”.
§ 8 In Art. 33(2) of the Law on the Protection of Competition (publishe d  State Gazette No.
52/1998; No. 112/1998 - Decision No. 22/1998 of the Constitutional Court), “trademark”
shall be replaced by “marks”.§ 9 In § 1, item 12(a) of the Radio and Tele vision Law (published  State Gazette No.
138/1998; No. 60/1999 - Decision No. 10/1999 of th e Constitutional Court), “the trademark”
shall be replaced by “marks”.§ 10 In Art. 19(2)2 of the Book-keeping Law (published  State Gazette No. 4/1991; amend.
No. 26/1992, No. 55/1993, Nos. 21, 33, 59/1996, No. 52/1997, No. 21/1998, No. 57/1999),“company and trade marks” shall be replaced by “marks”.§ 11 In § 1, item 18 of the Law on Physical Edu cation and Sports (published  State Gazette
No. 58/1996; No. 53/1997 - Decision No. 8/1997 of the Constitutional Court; rev. No.
124/1998, No. 51/1999), “trademark” sha ll be replaced by “mark”.
§ 12 Art. 4(l) of the State Fees Law (pub lished  Izvestia No. 104/1951; amend. No. 89/1959,
No. 21/1960; State Gazette No. 53/1973, No. 87/1974, No. 21/1975, No. 21/1990, No.55/1991, No. 100/1992, Nos. 69, 87/1995, Nos. 37, 100, 104/1996, Nos. 82, 86/1997, No.133/1998) shall read as follows:
“l) for grant of patents for inventions and utility models, for issuing certificates for
new plant varieties and animal breeds, for regi stration, renewal, assignment, etc., of marks
and industrial designs, for registration, etc., of  geographical indications  and layout designs of
integrated circuits”.§ 13 In § 1, item 8 of the Law on the Corporativ e Income Taxation (published  State Gazette
No. 115/1997; rev. No. 19/1998; amend. Nos. 21, 153/1998, Nos. 12, 50, 51/1999),“trademark” shall be replaced by “mark”.§ 14 In Art. 31(1) of the Cooperative Societ y Law (published  State Gazette No. 63/1991;
amend. Nos. 34, 55/1992, No. 63/1994, Nos. 59, 103/1996, No. 52/1997, No. 52/1998),“trademarks” shall be replaced by “marks”.§ 15 The Council of Ministers shall adopt Instruc tions on the filing, drafting and examination
of applications for the registration of marks and geographical indications, as well as on the
procedures and ways of enforcement of the border controls and the tarrif of fees as per Art. 4.
§ 16  This Law shall come into effect three months upon publication thereof in the State
Gazette.§ 17 The enforcement of this Law shall be assigned to the President of the Patent Office.
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