Innovation and vision are essential to a company’s success in domestic and international markets. The name and logo your customers recognise, a technical solution you have developed, your product design, or the software underpinning your business are often among your company’s most valuable assets. Your ideas need protection. Without it, others may be free to use what you have created.
The legal team at Budimir / Panjković Zlatić Law Firm provides intellectual property protection services at both domestic and international levels, as well as comprehensive legal support for companies in the IT sector.
Trade Marks – Protecting Names and Logos
A trade mark protects a sign that distinguishes one person’s goods or services from those of others, such as a name, logo, slogan, or a combination of these. A registered trade mark gives its owner the exclusive right to use it and the ability to prevent others from using an identical or similar sign. Trade marks are registered for ten years and may be renewed indefinitely.
Before filing an application, we check for existing identical or similar registered marks, advise clients on selecting the appropriate classes of goods and services, and represent them in proceedings before the Serbian Intellectual Property Office. For companies operating outside Serbia, we also handle international trade mark registration, including registration in the European Union and other countries.
Patents and Industrial Designs
A trade mark protects a sign that distinguishes one person’s goods or services from those of others, such as a name, logo, slogan, or a combination of these. A registered trade mark gives its owner the exclusive right to use it and the ability to prevent others from using an identical or similar sign. Trade marks are registered for ten years and may be renewed indefinitely.
Before filing an application, we check for existing identical or similar registered marks, advise clients on selecting the appropriate classes of goods and services, and represent them in proceedings before the Serbian Intellectual Property Office. For companies operating outside Serbia, we also handle international trade mark registration, including registration in the European Union and other countries.
Copyright
Copyright arises automatically when a work is created and does not require registration. However, effective protection depends on clearly establishing who created the work and who is entitled to use it. We draft agreements for the creation of works and the assignment of copyright, licensing agreements, and contracts with designers, photographers, software developers and other creators to ensure that your company’s rights to the work are clearly established.
Combating Counterfeiting and Intellectual Property Infringement
We successfully represent clients before the Serbian Customs Administration when submitting applications for customs action, enabling the detention, prohibition of import, seizure and destruction of counterfeit goods. We also represent rights holders in court proceedings concerning trade mark, patent, design and copyright infringement, including applications for interim injunctions and claims for damages.
IT Law
We have extensive experience representing businesses whose primary activities are in the IT sector. We have successfully drafted and assisted in concluding numerous IT contracts covering software and hardware development, as well as the creation and development of websites and applications.