You should register your trademark in Serbia because rights are granted mainly through registration, as Serbia follows a “first-to-file” system. In practice, this means that the person or company who files first before the office will generally have better and clearer rights than someone who only uses the mark without registering it. Unregistered trademarks are protected only in very exceptional circumstances (for example, well-known marks).
To obtain protection in Serbia, your application must be filed with the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia ZIS. Once registered, your Serbian trademark:
- Grants you exclusive rights to use the mark for the goods/services covered.
- Provides a solid basis to stop infringers and challenge later conflicting filings.
- Can be used as a valuable asset (licensing, franchising, assignment, etc.).
Serbia is also a member state to the Madrid Protocol. Thus, the extension of an international registration of a trademark via the Madrid System is possible for this country.