Trademark monitoring: learn in time about similar marks and companies
Registration is not enough if you do not know when someone files a mark similar to yours. Conflicts with earlier marks are raised mainly by the owners themselves, through an opposition within 3 months of publication; if you do not notice in time, the similar mark may be registered unchallenged. Trademark monitoring on trademark.al – a trademark watch for Albania and Kosovo – exists precisely so that this does not happen.
- 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
What is compared
When your mark is under monitoring, the system regularly compares it with:
- new marks of Albania (the register of the General Directorate of Industrial Property, DPPI) and of Kosovo (the register of the Kosovo Industrial Property Agency, KIPA);
- new companies of QKB and ARBK, by name and trading name.
The first check also looks at the finds of the last 90 days. Your marks are not compared with one another, nor with marks of the same owner.
How similarity is assessed
The comparison is based on the distinctive part of the names – generic words are set aside – and needs at least one strong sign of similarity: a very close spelling, the same sound in Albanian pronunciation, one name contained whole in the other, or a near-identical logo between two figurative marks. Then the goods are weighed: shared Nice classes or classes of the same market raise the risk, while completely unrelated goods create no conflict.
No alert without TMA's review
Every find first waits in TMA's review queue. Only very strong finds for monitored marks are approved automatically; the others are approved or archived by TMA. So you are not alarmed about marks that have nothing to do with your business.
Approved alerts are sent every morning, usually at 06:00: one notification per alert and one summary e-mail, to you and to the mark's representative. On the Alerts page you see every alert with the similarity percentage, the register where it was found and, for a published mark, the opposition deadline. The alert stays there even if the e-mail is lost.
From alert to opposition in one click
When the alert concerns an Albanian or Kosovo mark, the “Oppose this application” button opens the opposition: you receive the power of attorney for the case by e-mail and a payment request at TMA's price; after payment, TMA takes the case over. Only the owner of the mark can start an opposition from an alert. When the find is a company, there is no opposition before the trademark office: the alert informs you, so that you can decide with your representative. More under trademark opposition.
Locked results
Even for one of your marks without monitoring, very strong finds are shown to you locked: you see how similar the find is, where it was found and the opposition deadline, while the other mark's name, number and owner stay hidden. When you subscribe (“Subscribe and see”), the finds are unlocked and move into your monitoring.
How to subscribe
- Which marks: those your account holds at TMA – paid applications still in procedure or in force, and the register marks of your company that TMA has linked to your account.
- Term: 12 months, 120 months or until the mark expires.
- Packages: for many marks there may be packages – 2–5, 6–10, 11–50 or more than 50 marks – when TMA has priced them.
- Payment: the order creates a payment request; you see the price, the administration fee, the transaction fee and the total before paying, by card or bank transfer.
- Start: monitoring starts on the day of payment.
- Free trial: offered only when TMA has enabled it – for one mark, once per client.
Open the monitoring page, choose the mark and the term – or press “Subscribe and see” on a locked result. Your representative can also put the mark under monitoring; you are notified if they do.
Why it is worth it
The 3-month opposition period passes quickly. An alert that arrives in time lets you act calmly, with evidence and with your representative, instead of discovering the similar mark once it is already registered. You will find the full guide in the article Trademark monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Is my mark monitored automatically after registration?
No. Monitoring does not start by itself with the application or the registration: you start it with a subscription and it starts on the day of payment. You are always notified of changes to your own mark's status.
Do alerts arrive immediately?
Alerts are not sent without TMA's review. Approved alerts are sent every morning, usually at 06:00, with one notification each and one summary e-mail.
Who receives the alerts?
The owner of the mark and its representatives: the mark's representative and, when the mark is monitored under a representative's plan, that representative too.
What happens when the subscription ends?
Monitoring stops at the end of the term. To continue, you renew the subscription and pay for it; without payment monitoring is not extended. Alerts already sent stay under Alerts.
Can I monitor several marks at once?
Yes. Each mark can be subscribed separately, and for many marks there may be packages, when TMA has priced them.
Put your trademark under monitoring
Albanian and Kosovo marks, QKB and ARBK businesses: every find reviewed by TMA, with a morning alert and one-click opposition.