• Trademark fees

Fees associated with filing trademark application in Moldova as well as other trademark fees are available in the fee calculator.

• Minimum filing requirements

- An indication that trademark registration is requested;
- applicant's details;
- a clear image of the trademark;
- a list of goods/services for which trademark registration is sought;
- payment of the filing fee.

• Multiple-class applications

Multiple-class trademark applications are possible in Moldova.

• Priority document

A certified copy of the priority document and its Romanian translation should be submitted within three months from the filing date.

• Requirements for the Power of Attorney

A copy of a simply signed Power of Attorney may be submitted simultaneously with filing a trademark application or within two months from the filing date.

• Opposition period

The opposition against a trademark may be filed within three months from the publication of the application.

• Grant, validity term and trademark renewal

The official fee for trademark registration in Moldova should be paid within 3 months from the date of issuance the decision to register a trademark. The trademark registration in Moldova is valid for ten years from the date of filing. Registration may be extended by ten consecutive years an unlimited number of times. A trademark may be renewed within six months before the expiration of the last registration. Additional six-month grace period after the expiration is provided on condition of payment of a surcharge.

• Use requirement

The trademark in Moldova may be cancelled on the basis of non-use within a continuous period of five years in case the corresponded request is filed to the court by the interested person.

• Representation by a trademark attorney

For foreigners, it is obligatory to perform the trademark prosecution in Moldova through an agent, a registered Moldovan patent attorney.

• What can be registered as a trademark in Moldova

A trademark can consist of any signs or combination of signs: visual (words, including personal names, letters, numerals, designs, colours, combinations of colours, figurative elements, three-dimensional shapes, particularly the shape of goods or of their packaging, holograms, positioning signals), auditory, olfactory, tactile, provided that they are used to individualize and distinguish the goods and/or services of a natural or legal person from those of other natural or legal persons.

•  Notes

1. Online Search Databases: Moldovan Trademarks, International Trademarks.
2. Response to the provisional refusal of international trademark registration must be filed within two months from the date of its receipt by the holder. This time limit can be extended up to 6 months. Evidence of the date of receipt must be submitted together with response. The language of the response is Romanian. It is necessary to appoint a local representative for filing the response and/or requesting a time extension. Final refusal may be appealed within 2 months after its receipt.

Brief summary is based on the information provided by Mikhailyuk, Sorokolat & Partners on 28.02.2023
Please contact us if the above information is not in conformity with Moldovan IP Laws