Moldova
Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe with a high tempo of economic development and low inflation rates, inviting growth and innovation to all sectors of the market. Official implementation of electronic transactions facilitates obtaining protection and defending intellectual property rights. The national currency of Moldova is leu.
The Moldovan Patent and Trademark Office conducts correspondence only in Moldovan (Romanian) language. Any foreign applicant needs to appoint a local Patent Attorney for handling its IP matters before the Office. The appointment can be confirmed with a copy of signed Power of Attorney.
Average examination timeframe by the Moldovan Patent and Trademark Office is about 18-20 months for inventions, and about 9-12 months for trademarks and industrial designs. After examination is successfully completed, invention applications are published for opposition for 6 months. When trademark applications are concerned, oppositions can be filed within 3 months from the date of publication of the application and within 1 month from the date of publication of the registration decision. While there are no utility models as a separate IP object in Moldova, short term patents valid for 6+4=10 years are available.
When an IP-related matter proceeds to court, they are considered first by the district court at the location of the Moldovan Patent and Trademark Office, then by the Appeal Court, and lastly, by the Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova. An attorney well-versed in the local court practice will ensure protection of the client’s best interest in any matter.
Services
- Inventions, through national patent applications or PCT entry (31 months)
- Trademarks, through national trademark applications or Madrid registrations
- Industrial designs, through national applications or the Hague System
- Appellations of origin and geographical indications, including applications through the Lisbon agreement
- Copyright
- Computer programs