Online Workshop on Trademark Misuse
On January 22, 2025, an online workshop was organized in collaboration with EUIPO, titled: "TM5 Bad Faith Workshop for WB IPOs." The primary objective of this workshop was to exchange experiences among member countries on addressing conflicts arising from the bad faith use of trademarks.
For 2025, EUIPO has expanded its geographical scope and organized this important seminar for the Western Balkans, where Albania is part of this group, along with North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the organized panel, Ms. Lineda Arapi, Head of the Trademarks, Industrial Designs, and Geographical Indications Sector, presented Albania's experience in managing reported cases of trademark misuse. Additionally, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) leads this project to raise awareness about trademarks in bad faith and to compare international laws and practices.
This workshop is an important step toward strengthening trademark protection and market security.
The General Directorate of Industrial Property informs interested parties that, based on point 3 of Article 193/b of Law No. 9947, dated 07.07.2008, "On Industrial Property," as amended, they should submit their application to the protocol office to apply for membership on the Appeals Board.
Also, in implementation of point 1 of Article 193/b of Law No. 9947, dated 07.07.2008, "On Industrial Property," as amended, it is stated: "The Appeals Board consists of five members, two of whom are employees of the DPPI, and three external members from the field of IP, who meet the requirements to be IP experts. Members of the Appeals Board cannot be authorized representatives."
With the new legal changes, it is foreseen that the Appeals Board should include two representatives from the General Directorate of Industrial Property and three external members. Since only two external candidacies were submitted to become members of the Appeals Board in the notice issued at the end of 2021, the DPPI re-announces the call for external candidates who express their interest in applying as members of the Appeals Board.
The deadline for submitting applications is until January 20, 2022.