What can be protected?
An industrial design in Bulgaria is the visible appearance of a product or part of a product, determined by features such as lines, contours, shape, colors, texture, and or materials of the product or its ornamentation. Protection concerns only the external appearance, not the internal structure or technical function.
Elements not eligible for protection
Features of appearance dictated solely by technical function are not protected by design rights. Also excluded are features that must be reproduced in their exact form and dimensions to allow mechanical connection or assembly with other products, subject to limited exceptions.
Registrability requirements (novelty and individual character)
To be registered, a design must be new and possess individual character, meaning that the overall impression it produces on the informed user differs from that of designs made available to the public before the filing or priority date. In practice, the BPO focuses on formal examination, while substantive assessment may arise mainly in invalidation proceedings.
Filing, priority, and language
Design applications are filed with the BPO directly, by post, or electronically. Applicants may claim Paris Convention priority within 6 months of the first filing abroad by submitting a priority document. The application and accompanying documents must be in Bulgarian, with translations required where they are initially filed in another language.
Term and renewals
The initial term of protection for a registered industrial design is 10 years from the filing date. It may be renewed for further 5 year periods up to a maximum total of 25 years, subject to timely payment of renewal fees.
Typical required filing documents (industrial design)