(219)                    Regarding Industrial Property
                       Rights In The Republic Of Croatia

   The State Patent Office of the Republic
of Croatia has provided the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with
information regarding the protection of inventions, industrial designs,
and trademarks and appellations of origin in the Republic of Croatia.
   
   Following is the unedited text of the document provided in English
translation by the Government of Croatia, outlining the status of
industrial property protection.

"I. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, CONVENTIONS AND TREATIES
   
   The Republic of Croatia is a party to the following conventions:
othe Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization;
o the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property;
o the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks;
othe Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods
and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks;
othe Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for
Industrial Designs;
othe BERNE Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
based on the notifications confirmed by the Director General of the World
Intellecutal Property Organization, in his letter of 29, July, 1992,
considered to be effective from 8, October, 1991, the date of indepandance
declaration of the Republic of Croatia.
   This fact grants the continuity of membership of the Republic of
Croatia in the aforementioned conventions, starting from the found state
of former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

II. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

1. MAIN FEATURES OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY LAW IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Industrial Property Law comprises:
opatents;
odesigns;
otrademarks and service marks;
oappellations of origin.
   According to this Law, which is basically in accordance with the
aforementioned conventions and arrangements, the validity of patent is 20
years, and the validity of designs and marks 10 years upon the submission
of the patent application. The validity of marks can be renewed without
limitations. Foreign legal and physical persons are obliged to protect
their industrial property rights in the Republic of Croatia by means of an
authorized representative, either a Croatian citizen or a local legal
entity.

3. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA-PROSPECTS
   
   A new law on industrial property is expected to be passed during 1994,
conceding the use of the institution of complete examination of conditions
for the grant of patents. Within general activities aimed at harmonization
and unification of the legal provisions governing idustrial property
rights, the State Patent Office will take up the activities concerning the
admission to PCT and the European Patent Convention.

4. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS GRANTED OR APPLIED FOR BY SUBMITTING AN
APPLICATION, TO THE FORMER FEDERAL PATENT OFFICE FOR THE TERRITORY OF
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA (SFRY)

4.1. The Industrial property rights granted through the former Federal
Patent Office up to 8 October, 1991 are regulated in Article 10, paragraph
1 and 2 of the Law on Changes and Amendments of the Law on Protection of
Inventions, Technical Improvements and Distinctive Signs ("Official
Gazette of the Republic of Croatia", 2 April, 1992): `All rights of
industrial property which are granted by the decisions of the former
Federal Patent Office up to 8 October 1991 are valid on the territory of
the Republic of Croatia up to their expiration. Upon the request of the
rightfull claimants from the aforementioned paragraph, the State Patent
Office will enter this particular right into the corresponding register.'

4.2. Rights acquired in former Yugoslavia by the international
registration of marks (International Bureau of WIPO, Geneve)
   
   The Assembly of the Madrid Union on 29 September, 1992 adopted the new
Rule No. 38, which apart from the Republic of Croatia applies to Solvenia
and Ukraine, of the Regulations under the Madrid Arrangement, according to
which the internationally registered marks with the territorial sign YU
with the dates earlier 1 December, 1992 can be effective in the Republic
of Coratia, provided that:
oa request is submitted to the International Bureau of WIPO, Geneve (on
the basis of the written notification of the International Bureau of WIPO);
oa fee in the amount of 62 Swiss francs for each internationally
registered mark is paid to the International Bureau.
   
   The International Bureau will by the end of 1992 notify in written form
each of the owners of the internationally registered mark with the sign
YU, with the appeal to utilize the possibility provided by the Rule No. 38
prior to March 1, 1994.
4.3. The Industrial property rights applied for by submitting the
application at the former Federal Patent Office before 8 October, 1991,
which were not granted or declined, can be effected in the Republic of
Croatia by submitting the same applications to the State Patent Office
until 4 November, 1993 (this period was prolonged by the Regulation of the
Government of the Republic of Croatia of 14 April, 1993)."

The address of the State Patent Office is:

State Patent Office 
of the Republic of Croatia
Avenija Vukovar 78 41000 Zagreb
CROATIA
   
   The State Patent Office of the Republic of Croatia has also provided a
copy of the fees charged and a list of patent attorneys authorized to
practice. Copies of these can be provided on request. Please send request
to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Legislation and
International Affairs, Box 4, Washington, D.C. 20231.

Nov. 4, 1993                                               BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secreaty of Commerce and
                                    Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

                                 [1156 TMOG 112]