The Foundation for the Defense of the Citizen Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has asked Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă to amend the legislation on industrial property protection fees, the legislation on trademarks and geographical indications and the legislation on patents.
Specifically, FACIAS asked for a reduction of the fees for filing/examination of the figurative mark in colour format. Given that the logistical effort in processing is the same whether the mark is black and white or colour, or verbal/combined. The request also includes a request to eliminate the fee for the issuance of the registration/renewal certificate of the mark and to introduce an electronic certificate. The elimination of the fee for the limitation of goods or services was also requested, as it is often an amicable way to resolve a potential conflict. FACIAS also requested a reduction of the time limits for the settlement of oppositions and the addition of sanctions for non-compliance to the legal provisions, as well as the elimination of fees from the content of Government Ordinance No 41/1998 on fees in the field of industrial property protection and the regime of their use, for activities and operations that do not justify the payment of a fee.
Higher fees than in other EU countries
FACIAS has noted that fees for registering trademarks and patenting Romanian inventions are higher than those of our neighbours in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Serbia or Poland, and sometimes exceed those of developed countries such as Germany or Canada. At the moment, the cost of patenting inventions in Romania actually acts as a disincentive to innovators. According to studies, Romania is the least innovative economy in the European Union and has the fastest deteriorating innovation performance in the EU.