Patent-Related Amendments in Albania

As of February 2, the official fees charged for the publication of European patent validations have increased in Albania. Some other amendments concerning patents have also been introduced:

Validation Request

The applicant/owner should file a validation request along with all other relevant documents with the Albanian PTO within 3 months from the publication date of the grant by the European Patent Office (EPO). If the request is not filed within 3 months, the applicant/owner has one additional month to file the validation request and has to pay an additional official fee.

Amendments to EP Claims

The applicant/owner should file a request to amend the European patent claims, along with all other relevant documents, with the Albanian PTO within 3 months from the EPO publication date on the amended claims. If the request is not filed within 3 months, the applicant/owner has one additional month to file the request and has to pay an additional official fee.

Annuities

The first representative/agent to make an annuity payment will receive the official payment certificate.

If more than one payment is made for the same patent, the PTO will issue a notification to the latter representative/agent that the payment has already been settled. After the receipt of the notification, the representative/agent has a right to claim reimbursement. The PTO will not object if an agent who is not recorded as the representative settles the payment, because the filing of a Power of Attorney is not mandatory anymore for annuity payments.

Moreover, the 6-month grace period for annuity payments has been extended an additional 2 months. If the payments are made during these 2 months, the official fee will be doubled.

Prepared by: Melina Nika

For more information, please contact albania@petosevic.com.

Source: Qbz.gov.al website