International trademark through the Madrid System: protecting your mark beyond Albania

A business that exports, sells online abroad or plans franchises in the region needs to know one basic principle: trademark protection is territorial. A mark registered with the General Directorate of Industrial Property (DPPI) protects you in Albania – not in Italy, Germany or Kosovo. An international trademark through the Madrid System lets you extend protection to many countries with a single application, while some countries, such as Kosovo, require a national application.

Trademarks in the DPPI register (Albania): 63.899
Trademarks in the KIPA register (Kosovo): 45.262
Companies in the QKB register (Albania): 366.371
Businesses in the ARBK register (Kosovo): 274.947

The first step: the right of priority

The Paris Convention (1883), administered by WIPO, sets two principles: national treatment – every member country gives nationals of other member countries the same protection as its own – and the right of priority: once you file a mark in one member country, you have 6 months to file it in the other member countries while keeping the date of the first filing.

In practice, priority gives you time: you apply first in your own country and within 6 months decide where else you need protection. In the trademark.al form, if you applied for the mark in another country within the last 6 months, you claim priority by entering the country, number and date of the first application.

How the Madrid System works

The Madrid System, based on the Madrid Agreement (1891) and the Madrid Protocol (1989), is administered by WIPO. Albania is a member.

You have a basic mark, filed or registered with DPPI.
You file one international application through WIPO and designate the countries where you want protection (the “designated parties”).
WIPO registers it and forwards it to the national offices, which decide under their own law whether to accept the mark in their territory.

For example, an Albanian wine producer with a mark at DPPI can file one international application designating Italy, Germany and Switzerland – all three in a single procedure. Albania's new trademark law (2025) regulates the Madrid procedures in detail, both for applications starting from Albania and for international registrations designating Albania.

Kosovo: always a national application

Kosovo is not a WIPO member and is not party to the Madrid System. An international registration, however many countries it covers, does not extend protection to Kosovo. The only route is a national application at the Kosovo Industrial Property Agency (KIPA), which you can also file on trademark.al. If Kosovo is a market for you, include it in your plan from the start – see registering a trademark in Kosovo.

Madrid or national applications?

Number of countries: for many countries, one international application is usually simpler to manage than many separate applications.
Membership: check that every country you are interested in is part of Madrid; for those that are not, a national application is needed, often with a local representative.
Timing: use the 6-month priority to decide calmly.
The basic mark: the international application rests on your DPPI mark, so it must be well prepared from the start – with the right classes.

How to plan it, step by step

List your markets – where you sell today and where you realistically plan to sell.
Secure the basic mark at DPPI – see registering a trademark in Albania.
Check the name in each market: a name available in Albania may be taken elsewhere; search foreign registers with your representative.
Choose the route: Madrid for member countries, a national application for countries outside it, such as Kosovo.
Respect the 6-month priority deadline if you want to keep the first date.

Example: a cosmetics producer selling in Kosovo and aiming for Italy and Germany files the mark at DPPI, applies as soon as possible at KIPA for Kosovo and, within 6 months, designates Italy and Germany through Madrid.

How to request it on trademark.al

Under Services, the Registration & Protection group includes the international registration (Madrid) for your mark, while the Documents & Certificates group includes the certificate, the certified copy and the priority document. The request goes to the mark's representative; TMA sets the price and you see it before paying, by card or bank transfer. You are notified of every status change.

Frequently asked questions

Can I protect my trademark outside Albania?

Yes. For an Albanian mark, through WIPO's Madrid System: with one international application you choose the countries where you want protection, instead of applying separately in each.

Can I extend my mark to Kosovo through the Madrid System?

No. Kosovo is not a WIPO member and is not party to the Madrid System. There, protection is obtained only with a national application at KIPA, which you can file through TMA.

What is a basic mark?

Your mark filed or registered with DPPI, on which the international application rests. That is why it must be well prepared from the start.

Does an international registration guarantee protection in every designated country?

No. WIPO forwards the registration to the national offices, and each decides under its own law whether to accept the mark in its territory.

How do I claim priority?

If you applied for the mark in another country within the last 6 months, enter the country, number and date of the first application in the form. That way you keep the date of the first application.

Start from a strong basic mark

Register your mark at DPPI with the right classes, then extend protection through Madrid and apply separately for Kosovo.