• Patent fees

Fees associated with Macedonian PCT national phase entry as well as other patent fees are available in the fee calculator.

• Deadline for PCT national phase entry in Macedonia

The time limit for entering PCT national phase in Macedonia constitutes 31 months from the priority date. It is possible to restore the priority right within twelve months after the said term if the due care was taken by the applicant to avoid late filing.

• Filing requirements in Macedonia

If an international application is filed in a language other than Macedonian, a translation of the application should be submitted at the time of the PCT national phase entry.

To obtain the date of filing, a patent application in Macedonia should contain:
-  request to grant a patent;
-  specification (description, claims and drawings) in Macedonian;
-  applicant details.

The applicant should provide an original of a signed Power of Attorney. A POA may be submitted at the time of entry into Macedonian PCT national phase or within one month thereof.

A copy of the Priority Document is not required.

• Examination of a Macedonian patent application

Patent applications in Macedonia undergo both formal and substantive examination. Substantive examination of a patent application should be requested within two years from the Macedonian filing date.

• Novelty grace period

Macedonian IP legislation stipulates a novelty grace period of six months prior to the international filing date, provided that the invention has been disclosed:
- by apparent misuse against the applicant or its legal predecessor;
- by displaying the invention at an official or officially recognised exhibition by the applicant or its legal predecessor on the condition of submitting an evidence when filing an application.

• Grant, validity term and maintenance fees

The grant fee is to be paid within thirty days of the notification by the Macedonian IP Office. A patent in Macedonia is valid for twenty years of the filing date. Annual fees are due each year starting from the third one and should be paid before the anniversary of the filing date in Macedonia. A surcharge of 25% applies if maintenance fees are paid within a three-month grace period. Payment within a further grace period of six months is subject to a 50% surcharge.

• Duration of registration procedure

It usually takes about three years as of the PCT national phase entry to get a patent granted in Macedonia.

• Utility Model

There is no utility model protection in Macedonia.

• Representation by a patent attorney

For foreign applicants, it is necessary to perform Macedonian PCT national phase entry through an agent, a registered Macedonian patent attorney.

• Notes

1. Online Search Database for Macedonian Patent Search.
2. Macedonia is a member state of the European Patent Organization. It is possible to obtain patent protection in Macedonia via entering European PCT regional phase and further validation in Macedonia. 

Brief summary is based on the information provided by CABINET MLADENOVSKI on 14.05.2024
Please contact us if the above information is not in conformity with Macedonian IP Laws