Designations of origin and geographical indications of products

International registration

Persons who have a permanent residence or registered office in the territory of the Slovak Republic can apply for international registration through the Slovak Industrial Property Office (hereinafter the office) after registering the designation of origin of the product or the geographical indication of the product according to the law of the European Union. The application for the international registration of the designation of origin of the product or the geographical indication of the product in the register of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva (hereinafter WIPO) is charged in the amount of 30 euros.

If the application for international registration meets the requirements established by a special regulation, the office forwards this application to the European Commission (the competent authority of the Slovak Republic for the purposes of submitting applications and other communication with the WIPO international office).

Submission of an application for registration of the indication of product origin or geographical indication of the product in the WIPO international register is charged a sum of CHF 1,000 and any individual fees https://www.wipo.int/lisbon/en/fees/ind_taxes.html  established by some contracting parties to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on designations of origin and geographical indications, if the applicant has chosen protection in one or some of these contracting parties.

Detailed information on the international protection of designations of origin and geographical indications, legislation, fees, individual fees and contracting parties can be found at https://www.wipo.int/lisbon/en/fees/ind_taxes.html

 

The Lisbon system in connection with the accession of the Slovak Republic to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications

The Slovak Republic acceded to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications (hereinafter referred to as the Geneva Act) on 9 October 2024.

In connection with the accession to the Geneva Act certain obligations and changes related not only to new ones resulted for Slovakia and the holders/users of designations of origin from Slovakia applications for registration in the international register of the World Intellectual Property Organization (hereinafter WIPO), as well as those relating to already existing international registrations from the Slovak Republic and the continuation of their protection. registrations in their territory:

• completion of the product specification,
• payment of individual fees.

 Addition to the product specification

Additional information about the quality, reputation or properties of the products and their connection with the defined geographical area (product specification) is required by:

• African Organization for Intellectual Property (OAPI)
• European Union
• Russian Federation
• Senegal

If interested, protect the registered designation in these contractual parties or in one/some of them, it is necessary to submit to the international authority additional information about the quality, reputation or characteristics of the products and their connection with the defined geographical area (product specification), i.e. translation of the product specification into English, French and Spanish.

If the required information (product specification) is not completed, the protection of the existing international registration will be considered as a "waiving of protection" in relation to the mentioned contracting parties.

With regard to registrations of designations of origin of products, the so-called of an agricultural nature (agricultural products, wine and spirits), it is not necessary to submit any additional information.

 

Individual Fees

Ten parties to the Geneva Act requested the payment of an individual fee:

1.	African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI)	750
2.	Cape Verde	70
3.	Cambodia	98
4.	Djibouti	815
5.	Ghana	392
6.	Lao People's Democratic Republic	94
7.	Russian Federation	97
8.	Samoa	162
9.	Saint Thomas and Princ Island	104
10.	Senegal	730

In case of interest in extending protection in the mentioned contracting parties or one/some of them, it is necessary to pay individual fees. The mentioned fees are paid in Swiss francs (CHF) directly to the WIPO account, within a period of three months from the date of accession of the Slovak Republic to the Geneva Act, i.e. until January 9, 2025.

In case of lack of interest in protection in the specified contracting parties and failure to pay the specified individual fees within the specified period, the existing international registration will be protected only in those contracting parties of the Geneva Act that have not introduced – do not require individual fees.

 It is possible to pay the required individual fees and/or provide additional information later - by withdrawing the "waiver of protection" (rule 16, paragraph 2 of the implementing regulation).

Following the accession of the Slovak Republic to the Geneva Act, indications of origin will also be required for all existing international registrations from the Slovak Republic to harmonize the data given in these international registrations with the data given in registrations under Union law, and thus request the international office of WIPO to register the following changes:

• addition or removal of an authorized person or persons (applicant),
• changes definition of the geographical area,
• change regarding the legal or administrative regulation (the national regulation will be replaced by the European one),
• change regarding the contracting party of origin (SR will be replaced by the EU),
• additional information about the quality, reputation or characteristics of the goods for which an international registration is requested, as well as its connection with the geographical area of ​​production or geographical area.

Every change of registration in the international register of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva (WIPO) is subject to the payment of fees. Fees are paid directly to the International Bureau of WIPO. In the event that multiple changes are requested with one request, the first change is charged at CHF 500 and each subsequent change at CHF 300.