How trademark.al works: from the first search to a registered trademark

trademark.al (TMA) is the platform where you search the trademarks and businesses of Albania and Kosovo, apply for a trademark through licensed representatives, pay and follow the trademark until registration – and then protect it. Here is how it works, step by step.

Three roles, one process

• You search, apply, pay and sign the power of attorney.
• The licensed representative files the trademark at the office and follows the procedure, with the power of attorney you give them.
• TMA administers the platform, the prices and the payments and oversees the quality of the service.

TMA is not the trademark office. The decision on registration is taken by the office – the General Directorate of Industrial Property (DPPI) in Albania or the Industrial Property Agency (KIPA) in Kosovo – and neither TMA nor the representatives can guarantee registration.

1. Search

In “Search” you see whether there are trademarks or companies with the same or a similar name: the trademarks of Albania and Kosovo, as well as the companies registered with the QKB and the ARBK. The search informs you, but does not guarantee registration.

2. Apply with the 9-step form

1. Territory and representative – Albania or Kosovo.
2. The mark – the name, the type, the logo and the colours; the name check shows you very similar trademarks and companies.
3. Business and activities – describe what you do and press “Analyse”.
4. Questions – a few questions that make the protection more precise.
5. Proposed classes – core, recommended and defensive, with the official WIPO 2026 terms.
6. Classes and cost.
7. Applicant – the person or company that becomes the owner of the trademark.
8. Declarations – where you undertake to send the power of attorney within 30 days.
9. Review and payment – the name check is repeated with your classes; if there are trademarks that pose a risk, you accept the risk before paying.

You can save the form as a draft and continue whenever you like from “My applications”.

3. The representative

The trademark is filed by a licensed representative. For each country you can have a representative of your own; they become yours only when they accept your request, or when you accept their invitation. If you have no representative for that country, the application is taken on by the representative assigned by TMA. You will find the public list of representatives in Representatives, and the steps for appointing or changing one in My representative.

4. Payment

The payment page shows every line: the office fee, legal representation, the administration fee, the transaction fee and the total. You pay:

• by card, on UPay's secure page – the application continues as soon as the payment is confirmed; or
• by bank transfer – make the transfer, upload the payment order (JPG, PNG or PDF, up to 5 MB) and the administrator confirms it.

The total amount is the same by card and by bank, to the cent. After payment a “Payment receipt” (non-fiscal) is issued automatically, while the tax invoice is issued within 48 hours and can be found on the trademark's page. Pay only within the platform. Under the Terms of use, payments on the platform and actions with the office are non-refundable; the only exception is a payment made twice by mistake for the same obligation. Details in Payments.

5. The power of attorney (POA)

After payment, the power of attorney reaches you by e-mail, in the name of the representative who files the trademark. You sign it – as a natural person, before a notary – and send it within 30 days. For Albania the original is sent by post and you confirm the posting on the platform; for Kosovo a scanned power of attorney is enough. You will find the steps in Power of attorney (POA).

6. Filing and follow-up

The representative files the trademark within 2 calendar days of payment. If the deadline passes, the representative and TMA's administrators are notified, and they follow it up. You then receive a notification for every step: filing, examination, publication, the opposition period and registration. On the trademark's page you see the history, the official communications, the documents and the conversation with the representative.

7. Protection after registration

• Services: renewal, opposition, transfer, licence, change of details and others, at a price set by TMA.
• Monitoring: TMA notifies you when a very similar trademark or company appears, and you start the opposition with one click.

Under “Services”, the services are grouped by stage of the trademark's life: Registration & Protection, Trademark Management, Opposition & Legal Protection, Rights, Security & Enforcement and Documents & Certificates. Choose the trademark, write a note if you wish and request the service: the request goes to the trademark's representative – or, if the trademark has none, to your representative for that country or to the one assigned by TMA. Once you have paid, follow every status change in the bell. You will find the full explanation in Services for your trademark.

Rules you need to know

• The application is sent for filing only once it has been paid.
• Prices are set by TMA; pay only within the platform and do not take the arrangement outside it.
• You have one representative of your own for each country – Albania and Kosovo. Appointment and release are by consent: a release takes effect when the representative accepts it – or TMA, when the representative does not respond.
• Paid trademarks that are in progress stay with the representative who was paid for them, until they are completed.
• If the name check finds trademarks that pose a risk, you see them yourself before payment and you accept the risk – even when the application was prepared for you by the representative.

Communication and help

For each trademark you have a conversation with the representative, where every message reaches the other party with a notification and an e-mail. TMA sees the trademark conversations to prevent abuse. The bell collects every event – payments, statuses, alerts – and for technical problems you open a ticket under “Support”. You will find guidance for every module in the Help centre, and short answers in the Frequently asked questions.