European Patent Office (EPO)
European Patent Office (EPO)
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TRADEMARKS
PATENTS
DESIGN
"BERIN" AT MEETINGS WITHIN THE EPI - IP COMMERCIALIZATION COMMITTEE, MUNICH, 21.02.24 AND EPPC, THE HAGUE, 27-29.02.24.
04.03.2024
On 21.02.24, a meeting of the members of the IP Commercialization Committee (IPCC), a body of the European Patent Institute (epi), was held in Munich. The committee consists of ten members, experts in the field. The committee was chaired by Hans Blöche, and Prof. Dr. Gjorgi Filipov. After the introductory points and the election of the Secretary of the Committee (Anders Isaksson), work was started on points related to some proposals of the European Commission, located in the so-called EU patent package, which provides for some patent functions in the European intellectual property office (EUIPO), which is a bit of a surprise and which the IPCC views with reservations. Questions from EPO practices were also discussed regarding assignment as one of the ways to commercialize IP, regarding the possible new directive on compulsory licenses in the field of pharmaceutical patents, as well as the advisory support provided by epi members to micro- companies (companies with annual income <2 million euros). The EU directive on corporate sustainability was also discussed, as well as the participation of IPCC members in the training of European representatives in the area of commercialization of patents. In his presentations, Filipov spoke about the methods of monetization and commercialization, about the evaluation of patent applications and about the necessity of respecting the provisions of the Paris Convention when granting licenses, assignments and in general during the transfer of technology, taking into account the readiness of the licensee to retain the quality of the product or service offered by the IP right holder. The president of epi, Peter Thomsen, also participated online in the work of the Committee.
The session of the European Patent Practice Committee (EPPC) lasted for three days (27-29.24) and contained three sessions: 1. Preparatory session, in which the members of the EPPC discussed in detail the points of the agenda for the meeting with the vice-president of the European Patent office, Steve Rowan and members of his delegation (seven other directors); 2. Plenary session with Steve Rowan and the delegation (about 130 participants, hybrid, onsite and online), holding two break-out sessions with members of the working groups for mechanics and ICT and for the biopharmacy and chemistry group; and 3. Break-out meeting announcements and conclusions for each item on the agenda. From the ERRS it was chaired by Christopher Mercer, and from the EPO, Steve Rowan, and then Razik Menindjel. In his welcoming speech, Rowan referred to the priorities of the EPZ for 2024, the nationalities of the patent examiners, the work of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the EPO (SACERO), the quality, the cooperation with SOIS and PCT, the total number of applications, the searches made and examinations, as well as for the number of granted patents, the need for amendments to the regulations for the description of inventions, for the examination department and the involvement of examiners, as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises and the benefits when filing patent applications. On behalf of the other members of the EPZ delegation, Emma Donaban spoke about the Quality Action Plan in 2024, Niclas Moray about complaints in 2023, about time positions during search, examination and opposition, Anne Redijk about the office of the ombudsman, as well as about additional searches , the correct citations of relevant texts and the non-examination of certain dependent patent claims, Heli Pillayama for speeding up opposition proceedings in a case of a Union patent in parallel court proceedings. During the breakout session on Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, which was chaired by Martin Wilming, there was talk about the cooperation of the US Patent and Trademark Office with the Food and Drug Administration, clinical trials of patents, medical and non-medical applications of products. , as well as the patenting of new types of plants, while the break-out session for Chemistry, Mechanics and ICT discussed the parameters and methods of measurement, the big gap in the protection of inventions in the field of artificial intelligence and the problems and solutions in patent cases in information and communication technology.
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In the work of the plenary session and the breakout session for biotechnology and pharmaceutical chemistry, Dr. Filipov actively participated, as the representative of MK in EPPS, who in several discussions: a) emphasized that he is still looking for a definition or a shorter publication of what is meant by the quality of work of a patent office (in this case, the European Patent Office) and gave a proposal on how to find a solution to that dilemma, b) asked for a wider elaboration on the cooperation of the European Patent Office within the framework of the big five offices in the world (USPTO, CIPPA, JPO, KIPO & EPO), c) asked to overcome the problems with the writing of sequence lists in pharmaceutical inventions and proposed measures to be done in the transitional period of adaptation to the new standard and d) the emphasized the issue of the use of the EPO Smart Card for identification and the possibility of two-factor authentication through the EPO mailbox, not forgetting the insistence of the Unified Patent Court.
15.01.2024 Validation agreement with Georgia enters into force
31.01.2024
The validation agreement between the European Patent Organisation and Georgia enters into force today. As a result, inventors and businesses are now able to validate their European patent applications and patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) in Georgia on the basis of the country’s national law.
Those European patent applications and patents validated in Georgia under the agreement will have the same effect and be subject to the same conditions as Georgia’s national patents. The accompanying technical co-operation between the EPO and the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia, SAKPATENTI, will bolster the development of Georgia’s national patent system and further foster innovation. The validation of European patents is also an important element for helping to attract foreign investment in Georgia.
The agreement was originally signed on 31 October 2019 and is the fifth of its kind to enter into force following those concluded between the European Patent Organisation and Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, Tunisia and Cambodia. With the current agreement’s entry into force and the extension agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of countries for which patent protection can be obtained on the basis of a single European patent application rises to 45.
CONGRATULATIONS FROM BERIN! 30 YEARS STATE OFFICE FOR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
12.12.2023
On December 7, in Skopje, a ceremony was held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the State Industrial Property Office, which began work on December 1, 1993. We at the Berin Agency are honored that its first director was Gjorgi Filipov (1993-99), founder of Berin, previously director of various positions at Rade Koncar AD, engineer, president of the Union of Inventors of Macedonia (SPATUM), professor at UKIM, regular member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Macedonian and European patent attorney, author of many professional and scientific articles and a dozen books, member of the European Patent Institute (EPI), INTA, ECTA, MARQUES, FICPI and other associations in the field of intellectual property and diplomacy, i.e. international politics, winner of many domestic and international awards . We thank the organizer SOIP for inviting Dr. Filipov to address the audience, whose first speaker was the president of MK, Dr. Stevo Pendarovski, and the current director of DZIS, Blerim Idrizi, representative of the World IP Organization, also addressed , Hanib Assan from Geneva, of the European Patent Office, Christoph Ernst from Munich, of the European IP Office, Ybon Ormazabal from Alicante. The ceremony was attended by about 200 guests, among them representatives from the institutes of neighboring countries, patent attorneys, former and current employees, authors and inventors, while representatives of the media were not notiert. To all current and former employees of SOIP, to all representatives and officials responsible for the establishment of the institution, but most of all to all creators and inventors and companies that protect their property, we congratulate them on the anniversary of the beginning of independent care for intellectual property in Macedonia!
NORTH MACEDONIA-DIGITALIZATION OF PATENT FILING SERVICES
04.10.2023
The State Industrial Property Office of North Macedonia in cooperation with the European Patent Organization EPO recently developed an e-platform for digitalization of services. The Front Office platform was launched on 02.10.2023, enclosing modules for submitting national and international patent applications, as well as applications for the extension of European patents and certificates for additional protection of medical products.
BERIN EXPLORED THE IP MAGIC IN PRAGUE!
06.07.2023
Our colleague Ivona Sekulovska, IP Attorney, was attending the 41st annual ECTA Conference this year in the famous city of Prague, whose architectural marvels and cultural charm, served as the perfect backdrop for the conference.
All the appreciation goes to the entire organizing committee for their hard work in putting together such a successful event.
More than 800 intellectual property law community attendees had the pleasure of listening and discussing different IP topics with esteemed speakers and presenters from worldwide, whose insights and research added immense value to the conference.
We will highlight a few of the many contemporary topics, such as topics for Design Reform, the Unitary Patent System, Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPC), Works of Applied Arts, and many others.
BERIN LTD was the only company that had its representative at the conference from Macedonia, and Ivona is ready to share her experience with anyone who wants to know more about the event or intellectual property in general.
To feel part of the atmosphere, enjoy the following pictures, as an illustration of the whole event.
ECTA Conference 2023 was a resounding success and we can't wait for the next one.
UP-Unitary Patent - A NEW ERA OF PATENT PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
16.06.2023
On June 1, the new EU patent protection system came into force, allowing patent holders to obtain EU-wide protection with a single application.
The establishment of the model has been in the works for many years, but was only recently ratified by most of the countries that initially acceded.
At the beginning, the procedure for the single registration of the recognized European patents will apply to the 17 countries, out of a total of 25 that have signed the Single European Patent agreement, which have managed to ratify it in their parliaments. While the unified court, whose work began on June 1st, will have jurisdiction over all unitary and European patents in the territory of the entire European Union.
The European Patent Office (EPO) will manage the matters related to the single procedure for the registration of the unitary patent. The management of the procedure and the maintenance of these patents will take place through a single administration that will be taken care of by this institution.
It is expected that, with the ratification in the parliaments of the remaining signatories, this agreement will enter into force in all the countries that initially signed it.
Only Spain, among the active members of the European Union, refused to sign the agreement while Croatia was not part of the union when the signing process took place.
In addition to the economic benefits that the holders will have, the establishment of a single patent court that has the authority to decide on the territories of all member countries is particularly significant for the Union, which is a step towards the establishment of a single court system at the level of the European Union.
Our office is ready for representation in this new system and offers assistance in registering the new European Union Patent (Unitary Patent).
All the details about this significant change to the European patenting system can be found on the official website of the European Patent Office.
Only Spain, among the active members of the European Union, refused to sign the agreement, while Croatia was not yet a part of the Union during the signing process.
In addition to the economic benefits for the Union, the formation of the Unified Patent Court is particularly significant, as it will have jurisdiction over the territories of all member countries, representing a step towards the establishment of a unified judicial system at the level of the European Union.
Our office is prepared to represent clients in this new system and offers assistance with the registration of the new European Union Patent, also known as the Unitary Patent.
All details regarding this significant change in the European patent system can be found on the official website of the European Patent Office.
https://www.epo.org/applying/european/unitary.html
PATENT
PATENT is a set of exclusive rights granted by the state to the owner of the patent (inventor or holder) for a specified period in exchange for regulated disclosure of certain details of the invention, which may be a new device, process, method or composition . These can make an inventive contribution and be useful and industrially applicable.
Berin LTD offers services in the field of protecting patents in North Macedonia in the following areas .
- Searches in patent databases
- Creation and processing of patents for inventions in all fields of technology (pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, chemistry, electrical engineering and the like).
- Registration of patents
- International Application for Patents : Filing PCT Applications
- Representation before the European Patent Office ( EPO ) : Carrying out the proceedings for granting of a European patent before the EEuropean Patent Office
- Validation of European patents
- Extension of European patents before the associate members of EPO
- Professional translation of patents from and into Macedonian, English, German, Albanian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Romanian, Greek, Russian and French.
- Processing of patent specifications and preparation of responses to appeals and oppositions after examination .
- Annuities: maintenance of patents
- SPC : procedure for obtaining of additional certificates ( Supplimenrary Patent Certificate) for extending the validity of patents
- Licenses : Preparation and registration of license agreements for the use of patents
- Estimates : evaluation of patents and inventions
- Transfer of rights
For the provision of these services in other countries, we have cooperations with our contractual partners who have the respective national professional power of representation .
Berin International GmbH (branch in Austria) only offers the submission of patent applications and the representation of parties in patent grant proceedings as well as in opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office. Services that are reserved for a professional party representative in accordance with the Austrian Patent Law are not offered in Austria. We would be happy to provide you with our Austrian colleagues from Austrian Patent Chamber.
* The term PATENT is derived from the Latin word "patere" and it means "to be open" (to be presented to the public) and from the term "Letters Patent" which originally means the transfer of a noble regulation that gives the exclusive rights to a certain Person or activity meant.
TRADEMARK
TRADEMARK PROTECTION is the right of industrial property that relates to a person, organization or legal person for individual labeling of their products and/or services in front of consumers, as well as for the differentiation of their products from those of other manufacturers.
Berin LTD offers trademark protection services in North Macedonia in the following areas .
[In the administrative procedure]
- Research in national and international databases;
- Registration of trademarks
- International trademark registration ;
- Market surveillance and official publications ;
- Consulting services in connection with the protection of trademarks in;
- Oppositions, Filing, and Responding;
- Preliminary rejections - answering and submitting proposals;
- Cancellations ,
- Procedures for changing the registers (transfer agreements, change of name and address);
- Licenses : Creation and registration of license agreements for the use of trademarks .
[With judicial protection and enforcement]
- Litigation;
- Mediation : procedure for resolving disputes;
- Requests for customs measures;
- Inspection viewing, viewing and taking action;
[other services]
- Monitoring of the market and publications;
- Consulting services in connection with the protection of trademarks ;
- Assessments : Review of trademarks
For the provision of these services in other countries, we have cooperations with our contractual partners who have the respective national professional power of representation.
Berin International GmbH (branch in Austria) does not offer any services under Austrian law before Austrian authorities with regard to trademark rights. We would be happy to make our Austrian colleagues available to you for this matter.
* trademark is typically a name, word, sentence, graphic logo, symbol, appearance, image, or a combination thereof. The ® mark is used to identify the marks that are registered with the right to the trademark. It is synonymous with the symbol TM used in the area of North America.
COPYRIGHTS
Copyright is a term used in relation to the rights to develop, use, and use copyrighted works and specific expressions of ideas and information. Copyrighted work is an intellectual work of a person or a group of people in the field of literature, science, art and other fields, regardless of the manner and form of expression.
Berin LTD offers services in the field of copyright protection in North Macedonia in the following areas.
[When representing authors and users of works protected by copyright]
- Preparation of copyright contracts ;
Mediation in the payment of license fees;
Consulting services related to the protection of copyrights;
[Other services]
- Registration of works protected by copyright;
Representing and conducting legal disputes;
Judicial expertise , expertly and economically.
Berin International GmbH (branch in Austria) does not offer any of the above services in Austria. These are reserved for a professional party representative in accordance with the Austrian Copyright Act. We are happy to name one of our cooperation partners for you.
For the provision of these services in other countries, we have cooperations with our contractual partners who have the respective national professional power of representation
* © is a symbol that is used to designate copyrights next to the name of the bearer, as a warning that their use is only possible with their consent.
© - it is an abbreviation derived from the term “copyright” and literally means “the right to copy”.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
Berin LTD is entitled to carry out the following legal representations in North Macedonia before all administrative and judicial authorities, before the European Patent Office and WIPO in all phases of the realization and protection of intellectual property . By continuously monitoring all changes in the law and practice in cooperation with our customers, we achieve the optimal result of all procedures initiated:
Representation before administrative authorities includes:
- Representation before the State Office for Industrial Property
- Representation before the customs authorities in the procedure for customs measures in the field of industrial property
- Representation before the state market inspectorate
- Representation in front of the body for the protection of competition
- Mediation: processes for resolving disputes
- Representation in litigation
- Advice in specific areas of intellectual property
- Analysis of laws and regulations in relation to areas that relate to the interests of our customers and their transactions.
- In-depth technical and legal analysis of technical solutions with patent protection
- Analysis of the changes and additions to the laws and regulations that are relevant for users and authors
Berin International GmbH (branch in Austria) does not offer any of the above services in Austria. These are reserved for a professional party representative. We would be happy to name one of our cooperation partners in Austria for you.
Legal acts of Berin International GmbH representation can only be carried out before the European Patent Office.
The representatives of Berin have experience in the oral proceedings before Examining division of the European Patent Office (EPO).
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN is the right to industrial property relating to a particular appearance or shape of a body, image, drawing, contours, the composition of colors, texture or a combination thereof that meets the requirements of novelty and individuality compared with those of the goods previously known to the public. Industrial design is a right that gives the products for which it is intended, a certain visual, aesthetic, ergonomic and practical purpose or a quality of use that distinguishes them from the rest of the products on the market.
Berin LTD offers services in the field of industrial design protection in Macedonia in the following areas .
[In the administrative procedure]
- Research in national and international databases;
- Registration of industrial design ;
- International registration of industrial design ;
- Market surveillance and official publications ;
- Consulting services for the protection of industrial design;
- Oppositions , Filing, and Responding;
- Preliminary rejections - answering and submitting proposals;
- Cancellations ,
- Procedures for changing the registers (transfer agreements, change of name and address);
- Licenses : Creation and registration of license agreements for the use of trademarks
[In judicial protection and enforcement]
- Litigation;
- Mediation : procedure for resolving disputes;
- Requests for customs measures;
- Inspection insight, viewing and taking action;
[other services]
- Monitoring of the market and publications;
- Consultancy in connection with the protection of industrial design ;
- Assessments : Assessment of industrial designs
For the provision of these services in other countries, we have cooperations with our contractual partners who have the respective national professional power of representation .
Berin International GmbH (branch in Austria) does not offer any of the above services in Austria. These are reserved for a professional party representative. We are happy to name one of our cooperation partners for you.
BERIN NEWSLETTER SING-UP
COMPANY
Profile
The Intellectual Property Agency BERIN ® LTD Skopje is an international company that was founded in 1992. Initially, the company primarily served domestic customers and over time it has grown into one of the leading intellectual property protection (IP) companies in North Macedonia and the Southeastern Europe region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey and Cyprus) .
BERIN ® is a specialized company of Macedonian Industrial Property Representatives (patents, industrial designs and trademarks) and European Patent Attorneys.
BERIN ® is an experienced company for filing applications and maintaining patents, industrial designs, trademarks, copyrights and related rights for individuals and companies in the process of transfer of intellectual property rights, technology transfer, franchise, know-how or licensing in North Macedonia, IP Consulting as well as (through a network of experienced colleagues) in the 38 countries, members of the European Patent Organization ( EPO ).
It also provides services to its business partners in the settlement of legal disputes, arbitration, mediation, settlement and advice in the field of intellectual property rights. BERIN ® provides services for the payment of license fees and annuities to authors from all areas of intellectual property rights.
These services are provided by its contractual partners in those countries in which BERIN does not have a professional representation.
In the Austrian branch (Berin International GmbH), only services relating to the European patent office are provided.
In BERIN work experts with differentn profiles, engineers from different areas of technology, as well as lawyers and Macedonian representatives for Intellectual Property and European patent attorneys. In addition to their mother tongue and English, each employee speaks at least one other European language. BERIN ® works according to the established ISO 9001 system for effective and efficient implementation and monitoring of the protection of patents, industrial designs , trademarks and copyrights. The ISO 9001 system is introduced and controlled by TÜV Rheinland and thus offers the partner company optimal protection of intellectual property rights.
Today BERIN ® is a symbol for a committed and successful service that is carried out in the interests of business partners. The assured and continuous growth is the proof and guarantee of the quality and professionalism of the services to our customers and colleagues from all over the world.
The list of domestic and foreign business partners of BERIN is growing steadily and also includes large European, American and Asian companies. BERIN ® is ready for the world's cooperation in the field of intellectual property with agents and companies.
If you are interested in getting in contact with us, we look forward to your inquiry and contact.
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1992 : Founding
Georgi Filipov decided to initiate proceedings to establish a company.jpg)
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1993 : Registration
Decision on establishment of enterprise for marketing, research and development BERIN LTD Skopje
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1993 : Patents
Filing of the first application for granting patent rights
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1994 : Partnership
Liljana Markovska Filipova joined the company as co-owner
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1994 : First Industrial Design and Trademark Applications:
Submission of the first application for recognition Industrial Design and Trademark registration
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1995 : First PCT Application
Submission of the first international patent of inventor from Republic of Macedonia under the PCT (Treaty Extending Patents)
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1996 : Promotion of Inventions
Participation on the International Fair for Inventions and conquering the Grand Prix Eureka 1999
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1997 : International Trademarks
First application filed under the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
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2001 : International Protection of Industrial Designs
First application before the WIPO under The Hague arrangement for registration of industrial designs
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2004 : Representation before the EPO
Start of representation before the European Patent Office
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2005 : Representation before the OHIM
Start of representation before the OHIM
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2009 : Representation before the EPO
Start of representation before the European Patent Office
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2010 : Certification
Implemented and certified system for quality management ISO 9001: 2008
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2012 : International Fairs
First solo participation on the International Fair of Intellectual Property in Munich- Visit of deputy director of EPO Mr. Željko Topić at the stand of Berin
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2014 : Expansion
Founding of Berin International GmbH in Vienna, Austria
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2015 : Software
Introduction of (Paperless) completely electronic administration of procedures
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2016 : First Macedonian Patent to EPO
First Macedonian Patent recognised in European Patent Organisation
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2017 : 25th Anniversary
11 employees, 2 Offices, 3702 Trademarks, 2954 Patents, 278 Industrial designs and 2500 authors
ORGANISATION STRUCTURE
Terms of use
The following provisions, terms and conditions apply to the use of the official website of the Intellectual Property Agency BERIN LTD Skopje, Macedonia (www.berin.mk). We reserve the right to occasionally change or update these Terms of use depending on the needs. By using our website you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use in their current version posted on the website.
Contents
The content of this website may be comprised of information and / or materials, including news, opinions and articles published on our web site, intended for informational purposes in the field of industrial property. The content is not always an attitude or legal advice of the Intellectual Property Agency BERIN LTD, so visitors to the website regarding their needs and interests and about the Content of the Web page are encouraged to consult legal experts.
Copyrights
All rights in the website and its content are reserved. You are allowed to access, use, reproduce and redistribute any segment of the web site’s content for your non-commercial use under a condition – not to violate our copyrights. An express written permission is required for using any part of the contents for any other purpose.
Links to third parties
Our website may contain links to websites of third parties. We have no control over the websites of third parties and we are not responsible for their content, quality, reliability or their use. None of the content published on the websites of Third Parties is privileged or confidential. This website, its content, and any third-party links are provided "as is".
Limitation of Liability
By linking to a website or web page to a third party does not mean that the Intellectual Property Agency BERIN LTD approves such website or webpage. You are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your computer systems from viruses harmful or destructive contents. We disclaim any responsibility for any damage might arise by your use of websites and web pages of third parties. We are not responsible for the quality, reliability, completeness and / or accuracy of additional facts, unexpected developments or adoption of new laws that are part of the content of third parties.
Privacy Policy
We do not collect or process personal data through our website.
Applicable law and jurisdiction
This website content and these Terms of Use are governed by national legislation. All disputes that might arise by the use of our website, content or relating to these Terms of Use, including their validity, interpretation and application shall be submitted for resolution by the competent court in Skopje.
Impressum
Head Office:
Intellectual Property Company Berin DOO, Skopje
bul. Kocho Racin 14/1-1, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
Phone: +389 (0) 2-3130-367, Fax: 389 (0) 2-3130-398
ID number: 4570138, www.crm.com.mk
E-mail: berin@berin.mk
Legal Notes:
Intellectual Property Company Berin DOO, Skopje, is an intellectual property representative in the Republic of North Macedonia and an authorized patent attorney before the European Patent Office (EPO), as well as a member of the Association of Industrial Property Representatives (patents and trademarks) of North Macedonia and international organizations EPI, FICPI, INTA and MARQUES. It is a company that is certified for quality management according to TUV Rheinland, Germany (TÜV, and according to ISO: 9001, with certificate number ID: 9105059285). The professional norms on which the work is based are determined by the Macedonian intellectual property laws (Law on Industrial Property and the Law on Copyright and Related Rights), the EPI Professional Standards (European Patent Institute-EPI) (available at: www.patentepi.org) and the FICPI Professional Code (available at: www.ficpi.org).
Representative firm:
Berin International GmbH
Jurekgasse 1/1/11, A-1150 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 (0) 1 8922960, Fax: +43 (0) 1 8922960
Registration number: FN 424569 Т, Commercial Court Vienna
Tax number: ATU70035838
Email: office@berin-ip.com
Legal Notes:
Berin International GmbH consists of European patent attorneys and consultants for intellectual property and technology transfer for southeast Europe. They are members of EPI, FICPI, INTA and MARQUES. Their work is subject to EPI Professional Standards (available at: www.patentepi.com) and FICPI Professional Standards (available at: www.ficpi.org).