The registration procedure at DPPI: what happens after you file

The General Directorate of Industrial Property (DPPI) is the state institution that receives and examines trademark applications in Albania, publishes them, registers them and keeps the national register. Since 16 August 2025, the procedure has followed the new Albanian trademark law. In this article we explain the stages an application goes through after it is filed.

Before filing: what needs to be ready

• The sign: the name or text of the mark and, for marks with an image, a clear representation of it.
• The owner: the details of the person or company that becomes the owner of the mark.
• Goods and services: listed according to the Nice classes, in clear terms.
• The power of attorney: the representative acts on your behalf under the power of attorney (POA) you give them.
• Priority, if you have applied for the same mark abroad within the last 6 months.

Stage 1: Filing

The application is filed with DPPI by a licensed representative. The office gives the application a number – for national marks in the form AL/T/year/number – and a filing date, which matters in any possible conflict with other marks.

On trademark.al, filing starts only once the application has been paid, and the representative has 2 calendar days from payment to do it. When they enter the office's application number, your application status moves to “Submitted”; the representative then updates the official status, from “Filed with the office” through to registration.

Stage 2: Formal examination

The office checks whether the application is complete and in order: the applicant's details, the representation of the mark, the list of goods and services and the necessary documents. If something is missing, the office notifies the representative and asks for it to be completed within a deadline. This is one of the reasons why the signed power of attorney must be sent on time.

Stage 3: Substantive examination

Here the office examines whether the sign can be registered: whether it is distinctive and whether any of the absolute grounds for refusal apply – e.g. a sign that is descriptive, generic or deceptive, contrary to public policy or contains official symbols without permission. If the office raises objections, the representative responds with arguments or, where possible, by clarifying or limiting the list of goods.

Stage 4: Publication

When the application passes examination, the office publishes it in the official industrial property bulletin. Publication makes the application known to the public and opens the opposition period. On trademark.al, the official status of the mark shows “Published” and then “Opposition period”.

Caution: “published” does not mean “registered”. During the opposition period, the mark can still be stopped.

Stage 5: The opposition period – 3 months

After publication, anyone who holds an earlier right – e.g. the owner of a similar mark – has 3 months to file an opposition. If your mark is opposed, the status becomes “Opposed”: the representative records the opposition and the deadline for the reply, and the opposition procedure is opened, which the client pays for. Replying on time is decisive. More in Trademark opposition.

Stage 6: Registration and the certificate

If there is no opposition, or the opposition is resolved in your favour, the mark is registered and the certificate is issued. The official status becomes “Registered”. Protection lasts 10 years and is renewable without limit; the expiry date is entered in the register and it is a good idea to save it in your calendar straight away.

When the office refuses the mark

An application may end up “Refused” – on absolute grounds or after an opposition is upheld – or “Withdrawn”, when the applicant gives up. After a refusal, the options depend on the case:

• an appeal against the office's decision to the Board of Appeal;
• restoration of a time limit, when a deadline was missed through no fault;
• a new application, with a changed sign or list of goods.

You request these services under “Services” on trademark.al; TMA sets their price and they are paid with the transaction fee, like any other payment.

How to follow it on trademark.al

On the mark's page you see two parallel statuses:

• Application status: Draft → Pending payment → Processing → Submitted → Under examination → Approved or Refused → Registered.
• Official status: Not filed, Filed with the office, Formal examination, Substantive examination, Published, Opposition period, Opposed, Registered, Refused or Withdrawn.

When the representative files the mark or changes the official status, you get a notification in the bell; when TMA changes the status, you get a notification and an e-mail. On the mark's page you also find the history, the official communications, the documents and the conversation with the representative. You will find the statuses explained in Trademark statuses.

What you can do during the procedure

The representative handles the procedure with the office, but some things depend on you:

• Send the power of attorney on time. For DPPI the signed original is sent by post, within 30 days of payment; then confirm the posting on the platform.
• Reply quickly. When the representative asks you for a document or a clarification, a delay on your side can mean a legal deadline is missed.
• Do not change the mark along the way. A new logo or a different name cannot be “slipped into” the existing application: they require a new application.
• Follow the publication. When your mark is published, the opposition period begins; bear in mind that until it ends, the registration is not final.
• Check the certificate. When the mark is registered, verify the owner's name, the sign and the classes; an error in the register is corrected with the “Register Correction” service.

How long does the whole procedure take?

The duration depends on the office's workload, on the quality of the application and on any oppositions. The fixed period that applies to every application is the 3-month opposition period after publication. A well-prepared application – with a prior search, accurate classes and a power of attorney sent on time – avoids unnecessary delays.