What is intellectual property in Macedonia

Two main pillars of IP

• Industrial property: patent, industrial design, trademark, geographical indication, and designation of origin (Art. 2, Law on Industrial Property).
• Copyright and related rights: literary, artistic, musical, audiovisual, software, photographic, and scientific works (Arts. 1 and 12, Law on Copyright and Related Rights).

Who grants these rights

• State Office of Industrial Property (IPPO, ДЗИС). Competent for patents, industrial design, trademarks, geographical indications, and topographies of integrated circuits.
• Ministry of Culture. Has policy oversight of copyright, but no registration is required — protection arises on creation.
• Customs Administration, State Market Inspectorate, and Ministry of Interior. Handle enforcement and sanctions for infringement.

How Macedonian protection connects to international protection

Macedonia is a party to several key treaties:

• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883, as amended).
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
• Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol on the international registration of trademarks.
• Extension Agreement with the European Patent Organisation (EPO).
• Hague Agreement on the international deposit of industrial designs.
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
• TRIPS Agreement of the World Trade Organization.

When to start

The sooner the better. Especially for trademarks and industrial designs — the first to file is the first to acquire the right (priority principle, Art. 178, Law on Industrial Property, for trademarks). For patents, prior public disclosure can destroy novelty.