Kosovo trademark search: KIPA marks and ARBK businesses in one place

Why Kosovo needs its own search

Where trademarks are concerned, Albania and Kosovo are two separate jurisdictions, with different registers, offices and laws. In Kosovo, trademarks are governed by the Law on Trademarks (No. 04/L-026, as amended) and registered with KIPA. Protection is territorial: if your mark is registered with DPPI and you start selling in Kosovo, you have no protection there until you also register it with KIPA.

What is more, Kosovo is not part of the Madrid System, so protection there is obtained only with a national application. Even a world-famous mark can remain “free” in Kosovo until someone registers it there first. This is why conflicts between Albanian and Kosovo marks are frequent, and why checking both registers before filing is essential.

What you can search on trademark.al

• Kosovo's marks – the KIPA register, with application numbers in the form KS/M/year/number;
• Kosovo's businesses – the companies registered with ARBK, which you filter by NUI, owner or administrator, municipality, legal form, status or year;
• Albania's marks and businesses – the DPPI register and QKB, in their own tabs, with the same search.

Every Kosovo mark has its own public page, which you can download as a PDF extract. Kosovo's bulletins are also split by mark, with an image of the bulletin page and the publication reference. You can also browse Kosovo's marks by year and by Nice class.

How to search for a mark in Kosovo, step by step

1. Type the name under Search and open the Kosovo (KS) tabs.
2. Search the variants too: different spellings, words that sound the same and the distinctive part of the name without generic words.
3. Compare the classes of the marks you find with your goods and services.
4. Check the ARBK businesses: a company with a similar name does not by itself block registration, but it shows you that a close name already exists on the market.
5. Move to the Albania tabs, especially if you plan to sell in both countries.

With an account, Magic Search in your dashboard lets you choose Kosovo, then the office – KIPA for marks, ARBK for businesses or your own applications at TMA – and the field: the name, the number, the owner, the representative, the goods, the NUI or the activity. You export a register's results to CSV, PDF or Word, up to 1,000 rows.

How to read the results

The office assesses whether two signs are similar in appearance, sound and meaning, and how similar the goods and services are. KIPA also uses the Nice Classification with its 45 classes, so the classes of a Kosovo mark are compared in the same way as those of an Albanian mark.

• Status: expired, refused or withdrawn marks are usually no longer an obstacle; a published mark can be registered after the opposition period.
• Classes: a similar name in the same class or a related one is a greater risk than one for unrelated goods.
• Owner: if the similar mark belongs to a company active in your market, the risk is real.

The limits of any search

The results are based on the public registers and do not include applications the office has not yet published. The search compares names, not logos. The data is updated regularly but may be delayed or contain errors: the official source remains the office's register, and the result is informative, not a legal opinion. KIPA decides on the registration.

From search to application in Kosovo

When the name looks available, choose Kosovo at the first step of the application form. The name check compares your mark with the marks and companies of the country you choose and runs again at the end with your classes. The mark is filed with KIPA by your representative for Kosovo or by TMA's default representative for Kosovo; for Kosovo a scanned power of attorney is enough.

If you already hold the mark in Albania through TMA, “Apply in Kosovo too” on the mark's page creates the Kosovo application with the same details, checked against Kosovo's register. You will find the steps under registering a trademark in Kosovo.

After the search: monitoring

A search shows today's situation. When your mark is under monitoring, it is regularly compared with new marks in Kosovo and Albania and with new ARBK and QKB companies, whichever country your mark is in. The alerts TMA approves reach you in the morning, with the opposition deadline.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search Kosovo's marks and companies?

Under Search choose the Kosovo (KS) tabs: the marks of Kosovo's register and the companies registered with ARBK. Every mark has its own public page, which you can download as a PDF extract.

Does a mark registered in Albania protect me in Kosovo?

No. Trademark protection is territorial: a mark registered in Albania does not protect you in Kosovo, and vice versa. For both you need a registration in each country.

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, so an international registration does not cover Kosovo. There, protection is obtained only with a national application at KIPA, which you can file through TMA.

Can I search for a Kosovo business by its NUI?

Yes. You filter ARBK companies by NUI, owner or administrator, municipality, legal form, status or year. More in the company search.

How accurate is the Kosovo register data?

The data comes from the public registers of KIPA and ARBK and is updated regularly, but it may be delayed or contain errors. The official source remains the office's register.

Check your name in Kosovo and Albania

KIPA and DPPI marks, ARBK and QKB businesses: one search before you invest in your name.

• Search Kosovo's registers
• Apply for a trademark
• Nice classes
• Sign up