Croatia

REQUIREMENTS FOR FILING THE NEW APPLICATION

For Patent, Trademark & Design application:

Name and address of the Applicant(s)
The name and address of the inventor(s)
When claiming priority, the country, date and application number of the priority application (the original Priority document which can be submitted subsequently within three months as from the Application date)
One single, simply signed Power of Attorney (PoA) for each individual clinet (not for eash case) is require, but not necessary at the time of filing (PoA can be submitted subsequently within 30 days as from the date of receipt of the Official Invitation from the Office. This term can be extended).

Plus for Trademark application

Wording or representation of the trademark
List of goods and services, if possible according to Nice Classification 8th edition (Classes 1 - 45)

Plus for Patent Application:

One set of application documents including description, claims, drawings (if any);
The document showing the assignment of rights from the Inventors in favor of the Applicant, simply signed by the Inventors – can be submitted subsequently, within 30 days as from the receipt of the official invitation. This term can be extended.

Plus for the Design Application

Name and address of the author or notice that the author chooses not to be mentioned in the application
Information regarding the number of external shapes the protection is requested for
Full and short title of the industrial design, if available according to the Locarno Classification
Representation of the design (drawing or photopraph)

Other IP information

TRADE MARKS

Registration Procedure

The Croatian IPO examines absolute grounds for refusal.
The registration procedure takes approximately one year as from the application
Trademark Applications are published in the Official Gazette. The Opposition against the Trademark Application can be filed within three months as from the publication date

Duration:

Trademark is valid for 10 years as from the application date,
Upon payment of renewal fees the Trademark can be extended for a further 10 years. The renewal fees can be paid during the last year of the previous ten year protection period or up to six months after the expiration date with a 100% fine of the renewal fees

PATENTS

National Patent Application:

The Application is to be filed within 12 months as from the priority date.
Translation of description, claims and abstract into Croatian can be filed subsequently

PCT - National Phase Patent Application:

The Application is to be filed with the Office within 30 months as from the Priority Application date.

Validation of European patents

Croatia is EPO member state and Croatia signed London Agreement regarding translation of the EP Patent for the purpose of validation.
In that sense:
- the applicant must submit to the IPO the translation into Croatian of patent claims, in case of validation of European Patents filed in English;
- the applicant must submit to the IPO of Croatia Croatian translation of patent claims and English translation of patent description and claims, in case of validation of European Patents filed in a foreign language, other than English:
For the purpose of validation, please provide us with copy of publication of granted EP Patent.

Registration Procedure

The Applications are published in the Official Gazette. Six months after the publication one of the following claims should be filed with the Croatian Intellectual Property Office
1. Claim for substantive examination of the Patent Application
2. Claim for examination of Patent Application based on the Patent granted for the same invention by the institution bearing the status of the International authority for evaluation of patents or
3. Claim for grant of the Patent without substantive examination

Duration of granted Patents

20 years as from the application date for conventional Patents
20 years as from the International filing date for the National phase of PCT patents
protection fees are to be paid annually, prior to expiration of the year for which the protection fees have been paid or six months after expiration of the protection period at the latest, with 100% fine

DESIGNS

Registration Procedure

The Office examines absolute grounds for refusal. The Applications are published and the interested parties can file the opposition against the Design Application within three months as from the publication date. If the Application meets prescribed requirements, the Office is issuing the Decision on grant
The first five years protection fees are payable upon the grant of the Industrial Design. The fees for each subsequent five years are payable during the last year of the previous protection period or up to six months after the expiration of the fifth year with 100% fine

Duration

Recording changes in the Register (Patents, Trademarks, Designs)

Requirements for recordal of Assignment of rights

Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignor
Power of Attorney simply signed by the Assignee
Assignment document signed by the Assignor and the Assignee. Document must be legalized by the Apostille or notarized by Notary Public

Requirements for recordal of Change of name

Power of Attorney indicating the new name, simply signed by a representative of the Company;
Extract from the Company Registers showing the change of name or Statement of the Secretary of State showing the change of name

Requirements for recordal Change of address

Power of Attorney indicating the new address, simply signed by a representative of the Company