Trademark law in Albania: what you need to know about the new law (2025)

On 16 August 2025 a new, stand-alone law on trademarks entered into force in Albania. It separates the trademark provisions from Law No. 9947/2008 “On industrial property” and creates a complete and independent framework. Here is what you need to know.

What changed

• Harmonisation with the EU: the law is aligned with Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 on the EU trade mark, with Directive (EU) 2015/2436 on the harmonisation of trademark laws and with Directive 2004/48/EC on the enforcement of rights.
• The Madrid System: a detailed procedural framework for international registrations – both applications originating from Albania and international registrations designating Albania – with a clear division of roles between DPPI and WIPO.
• Modernisation: new types of trademarks (sound, motion), electronic procedures and updated rules on opposition and appeal.

What about trademarks registered earlier?

A trademark registered before August 2025 remains valid. Rights acquired under the old law are recognised, while new applications follow the new law. Law No. 9947/2008, amended among others by Law No. 96/2021, remains the reference for earlier matters, for transitional procedures and for the areas that were not separated out, such as industrial designs and geographical indications.

What can be a trademark

Any sign – words, names, letters, numbers, figures, colours, shapes and now also sounds or motion – that is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of another and that can be represented clearly in the register. The main condition is distinctiveness: the trademark must tell the buyer that the product comes from you.

When a trademark is refused

Absolute grounds

Signs that lack distinctiveness, are descriptive, generic or misleading, are contrary to public order or morality, or contain state or official symbols without permission are not registered. These prohibitions apply regardless of other people's trademarks, and the office mainly examines them on its own initiative.

Relative grounds

A trademark is refused, following an opposition, if it is identical or similar to an earlier trademark for identical or similar goods or services and there is a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public. The office compares how similar the signs are – in appearance, sound and meaning – and how similar the goods are.

The owner's rights

The owner has the exclusive right to use the trademark and to prevent third parties from using in the course of trade, without the owner's consent, an identical or similar sign for identical or similar goods. Well-known trademarks enjoy broader protection, even beyond the goods for which they are known. On the other hand, under the principle of exhaustion, once an original product has been put on the market by the owner or with the owner's consent, the owner cannot prevent the resale of that item.

The trademark as property

A registered trademark is a property right: it can pass to another owner (transfer of ownership), be licensed and be given as security. These transactions are entered in the register, so that they are clear to everyone. Changes to the owner's name or address, the division of a registration into several separate rights and surrender, in whole or in part, are also registered. On trademark.al, all of these are services you request for your trademark under “Services”.

Key deadlines

• Opposition: after publication, holders of earlier rights may oppose within 3 months.
• Duration: registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed for successive 10-year periods, without limit.
• Non-use: a trademark may be revoked if it has not been genuinely used for 5 years without a justified reason.

The role of DPPI

The General Directorate of Industrial Property (DPPI) receives and examines applications, publishes them for opposition, registers trademarks, issues certificates and keeps the national register. Without going through DPPI, no official trademark protection is acquired in Albania. We explain the stages of the procedure in The registration procedure at DPPI.

What about Kosovo?

Kosovo has its own law – the Law on Trademarks No. 04/L-026, as amended – and its own register at the Industrial Property Agency (KIPA). A trademark registered in Albania is not automatically protected in Kosovo. See Registering a trademark in Kosovo.

Where to read more

In the legal library you will find a summary of the new law, with the main provisions explained through examples, as well as the international conventions – Paris, Madrid, Nice and TRIPS. This article is for information only and does not replace legal advice on your case.