The main conversation point in the Slovenian trademark community is the revised IP Act which came into force on 29 March 2020, transposing the EU Trademark Directive into national law. As in many EU member states, the graphical representation requirement has been removed and companies are now exploring novel ways to represent their brands using non-traditional marks. Practitioners are also enthused about the extension of the non-use defence – previously limited to cancellation actions – to oppositions, non-use revocations and infringement proceedings. At an administrative level, invalidation and revocation proceedings are still handled by the district court for now, but will be transferred to the Slovenian IP Office (SIPO) in the coming years.

Show less