Fees associated with filing an industrial design application in Bulgaria as well as other design fees are available in the fee calculator.
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Multiple design applications
Multiple industrial design applications are possible in Bulgaria provided all designs fall within the same class of Locarno classification.
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Filing requirements of a design application in Bulgaria
The official language of the industrial design prosecution before the Bulgarian Patent Office is Bulgarian.
For obtainment of a filing date, an industrial design application in Bulgaria should contain:
- request for registration of аn industrial design;
- name and address of the applicant(s);
- one or several graphic or photographic representations showing the appearance of the design;
- proof of payment of the prescribed fees.
If priority is claimed, a certified copy of the Priority Document should be filed within 3 months from the date of filing.
Legalization of the Power of Attorney is not required. The signed and stamped (if applicable) POA form must be submitted within 2 months from filing an industrial design application.
The term for filing an industrial design application in Bulgaria claiming conventional priority is six months from the priority date. The extension of this deadline is not stipulated.
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Examination of a design application in Bulgaria
The industrial design application in Bulgaria undergoes formal examination only.
Novelty grace period is 12 months if the disclosure is made by the author of the design directly or indirectly, or by a third party in bad faith.
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Grant, validity term and design renewal fees
The validity term of an industrial design in Bulgaria is 10 years from the filing date, renewable three times for a period of 5 years upon payment of the renewal fees. Renewal fees are due on the anniversary of the filing date and may be paid during the last year of the validity term. Late payment and a corresponding surcharge are possible within 6 months after the due date.
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Duration of registration procedure
The average processing time from filing to the registration of an industrial design in Bulgaria is 1-2 months.
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Representation by a patent attorney
Foreign applicants must perform the industrial design prosecution in Bulgaria through an industrial property representative or a qualified Bulgarian attorney at law.
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What can be registered as a design in Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, an industrial design may be registered based on the entirety or partiality of a product's appearance, arising from specific features such as shape, lines, contours, ornamentation, colors, or combinations thereof.
1. Online Search Databases: Bulgarian Designs, Community Designs (EUIPO), International Designs.
2. The deferment of the publication of the industrial design application is stipulated in Bulgaria within the period of 30 months from the date of filing of the application or, if priority is claimed, from the priority date.
3. The official fee for publication of industrial design registration data on in Bulgaria should be paid within 27 months from the date of filing, or if priority is claimed, from the priority date.
4. Design protection in Bulgaria may also be obtained via registration of a Community Design.
Brief summary is based on the information provided by Krasimira Kadieva Intellectual Property Law Office on 14.02.2025
Please contact us if the above information is not in conformity with Bulgarian IP Laws