Bulgaria Adopts New Ordinance on Industrial Property Representatives

On August 4, 2017, the Bulgarian Council of Ministers adopted a new Ordinance on Industrial Property Representatives, regulating the requirements for representatives in the field of industrial property.

The Ordinance enters into force on September 8, 2017 and is the first act in Bulgaria to establish that the occupation of an IP representative is a “regulated profession” pursuant to the Bulgarian Recognition of the Professional Qualifications Act.

The new Ordinance also introduces the possibility for industrial property representatives to exercise their profession in partnerships, the information on which will be recorded in a register specifically devised for that purpose and publically available on the Bulgarian Patent Office’s website.

Under the new Ordinance, all individuals wishing to become industrial property representatives will be required to pass a qualifying exam. Previously, certain categories of practitioners were exempt from this requirement, such as attorneys at law or individuals who had acquired their IP degrees in a postgraduate program, both with more than 10 years of experience in the field.

The new Ordinance aligns Bulgarian legislation concerning IP representatives with Directive 2006/123/EC and Directive 2005/36/EC.

Prepared by: Maxim Hristov

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

Source: Bulgarian Patent Office