In Montenegro, you must register your trademark to obtain exclusive rights over it, as the country follows a “first to file” system. Only in very exceptional cases can unregistered trademarks be protected.
Trademark applications are filed with the Intellectual Property Office of Montenegro ZISCG.
Montenegro is also a member state of the Madrid Protocol, which allows you to extend an international registration to Montenegro. We offer services for trademark filing through the Madrid System if you wish to include Montenegro in an international portfolio.
Prior use of a trademark is not required for filing or registration, but evidence of use may be useful if you need to prove that your mark has acquired distinctiveness in order to overcome an objection.
If you register a combined trademark (word + logo), your exclusive rights will be limited to the exact configuration as filed and registered. If you plan to use the verbal element and the logo separately, it is advisable to file additional applications to protect each element independently.