Intellectual property - Slovenia

Updated 04/2010

Legal requirements

Slovenian legislation for the certain spheres of intellectual property is available on the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office Website.

Slovenian Intellectual Property Office

Intellectual Property Rights

Industrial Property Rights

The various types of industrial property rights, as well as procedures for registering and acquiring these rights, the judicial protection of rights and the legal representation of a party in legal proceedings, are regulated by the Industrial Property Act and other regulations.

Industrial Property Act
Patent Protection
Model Protection
Protection of the Trademarks

Copyright

A copyright is in force throughout an author's life and additionally 70 years after his death. The copyright enters in force automatically just after publication.

The term "related rights" means rights in connection with a copyright. The related rights may be asserted by film producers, radio-broadcasting organisations, publishers and the creators of databases.

Business Strategies

In accordance with the Industrial Property Act it is not possible to protect business strategies. Business secrets and confidentiality agreements must be regulated by a licence agreement and contracts drafted by a patent agent in the name and on behalf of a contractual party and filed with the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office. The protection of business secrets is regulated by the Companies Act.

Companies Act

Bodies for the protection of intellectual property

The Slovenian Intellectual Property Office undertakes tasks in the area of intellectual property, including the areas of copyright and industrial property.

Slovenian Intellectual Property Office

The Copyright Agency of Slovenia (AAS) acts as a legal representative of authors and holders of copyright. Its mission is to administer authors’ contracts, offer protection of material and moral rights and conduct legal proceedings. It provides consultancy in the area of copyright, 'related rights' and the registration of copyright works.

Protection of intellectual property abroad

Since it was founded, the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office takes an active part in performing activities in cooperation with the major international institutions in the area of intellectual property. The most important are:

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
European Patent Organisation (EPO)
Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM)
Agreements and International Collaboration

Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy

The Interregional Operational Group for Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy was founded on the basis of a Government decision and it is expected to provide for more effective collaboration between State bodies in the performance of their related duties.

Government Decision on the foundation of the Interregional Operational Group for Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in the field of Intellectual Property [91 KB]
Interregional Operational Group for Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy – Basic Information

Property rights encourage investment in innovation and research.

Administrative procedures

Registration

The informiran.si Website enables the electronic registration of intellectual property through the standard forms.

Informiran.si

The procedure for the acquisition of rights to patents, models and trademarks includes the following steps:

the submission of an application via e-mail, fax or website;
the issuance of a permit by an agent;
the submission of a translation in Slovenian, if the text is in English, French or German, no later than 3 months after the receipt of a permit;
the payment of fees;
application for formal verification (compliance with regulations);
the issue of a decision.
SIPO – List of approved patent and trademark agents

Registration is not compulsory for works which will be protected by copyright ; a holder of rights may store a source version or sample of work in the Register of protected copyright works.

Acquisition of certificates

The Slovenian Intellectual Property Office is the competent body for issuing a certificate of intellectual property rights. The Office will issue a certificate on the recognition of rights, against the submission of an application for the registration of a patent, model or trademark. The application may be submitted in person or through a patent agent.On the link below you can find all the information relating to the registration of patents and the acquisition of certificates.

Slovenian Intellectual Property Office – Registers

Resources

More information on the acquisition of certain rights is available on the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office Websites.

Slovenian Intellectual Property Office

The Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments provides direct foreign investments, enables partnerships between the spheres of science and economy, offers information on the economy and keeps details on financial resources for companies.

Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI)

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

Intellectual property - Slovenia