RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
16October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4301)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFALBANIA
Additional Questions andReplies
Addendum
Thefollowing replies toadditional questions concerning GATS andTRIPs havebeenreceived
from theMinistry ofIndustry, Transport andTrade oftheRepublic ofAlbania.
_______________
GATS AND TRIPS
Question 1.
Albania should provide detailed information onGATS andTRIPs according totheformat
setoutinWT/ACC/1, consolidating anyinformation already provided onthese subjects. The
annexed questions onTRIPs should beofhelpwhen thepaper onthatsubject isbeing prepared.
Further information wewould liketoseeprovided onservices. Details of:
- regulatory andlegislative arrangements;
- anymarket access barriers toforeign participation, including alistofsectors forwhich
foreign participation isnotpossible;
- anyservice sectors which areonlyopen toforeigners iftheyform ajoint-venture with
Albanian private orState-owned companies;
- sectors subject torestrictions onmodes ofsupply;
- sectors forwhich entity requirements apply tocommercial establishment;
- anyoperating restrictions which apply toforeign companies, forexample, theprohibition
onbranches offoreign banks accepting deposits from natural orjuridical orAlbanian
persons;
- anyagreements orarrangements forthemutual recognition ofprofessional qualifications;
- sectors reserved forState-owned companies andanyfuture plans forallowing private
participation;
- anylimitation onnational treatment;
- anybilateral economic, technical cooperation ortrade agreements which cover trade in
services, including details ofthose which confer preferred orreciprocal supplier status
oncompanies from signatory countries.
Answer.
Albania hasprovided totheWorking Party anexplanatory noteonServices (document
WT/ACC/ALB/14). Thisnotegives information onthelegal regime applicable toservices overall
andbysectors, aswellascomments onthedraftschedule regarding national treatment, market access,
modes ofdelivery, etc.WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
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Intellectual Property Rights (document WT/ACC/ALB/4)
General (questions 104-105)
Question 2.
Could theGovernment ofAlbania provide copies ofitslawsonindustrial property and
copyrights asmentioned inWT/ACC/ALB/4? Arethere anynational laws/regulations etc.on
intellectual property? Ifso,could theGovernment ofAlbania provide copies?
Answer.
AcopyinEnglish oftheLaw"OnIndustrial Property" wasprovided totheWorking Party
inApril 1996 (document WT/ACC/ALB/6). AcopyoftheLaw"OnCopyright" willbeprovided.
Therelevant national laws/regulations areasfollows:
1. Patents Regulations;
2. Trade andservice mark regulation;
3. Industrial Designs Regulation;
4. Appellation ofOrigin Regulation;
5. Board ofAppeals Regulation;
6. Patent andTrademark Attorney Regulation;
7. Government Decree onIndustrial Property Tariffs;
8. Patent Office Regulation.
(There isnoEnglish version ofthese laws.)
Question 3.
IsAlbania amember ofanyother international treaty besides theParis Convention? If
yes,which arethey?
Answer.
Albania isamember ofthefollowing conventions andagreements inintellectual property:
1. Paris Convention;
2. Madrid Agreement onInternational Registration ofTrade Marks;
3. Patents Cooperation Treaty;
4. Cooperation Agreement between thegovernment ofAlbania andtheEuropean Patent
Organisation (Extension Agreement).
Question 4.
Inwhat respect doestheexisting Albanian lawnotimplement theprovisions oftheTRIPs
Agreement asindicated inthesecond paragraph oftheanswer toquestion 105?
Answer.
TheAlbanian law"OnIndustrial Property" generally iscompatible withtheTRIPs Agreement.
Some oftheTRIPs Agreement provisions arenotincluded inAlbanian law,buttheirpreparation is
under consideration bytheAlbanian Government.WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
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Question 5.
Doforeigners enjoy thesame treatment asnationals inrespect ofIPRprotection? Are
remedies andprocedures inconformity withArticles 42-49 oftheTRIPs Agreement?
What istheexact regime inrelation totheacquisition ofintellectual property rights, to
which foreigners aresubject. Arethere anyrestrictions orlimitations forforeigners asregards
theacquisition ofintellectual property rights? Doanysuchrestrictions alsoapply toAlbanian
nationals.
Forobtainingintellectualpropertyrights,Albanianlawprovidesthesametreatmentforforeigners
forAlbanian nationals, except thattheforeign applicants should berepresented atthePatent Office
through anAlbanian patent andtrademark agent.
Theremedies andprocedures included inAlbanian lawareinconformity witharticles 42-49
oftheTRIPs Agreement.
Industrial Property Rights
Patents (questions 106-112)
Question 6.
Docurrent rules inAlbania ongovernment useandcompulsory/non-voluntary licences
forpatents comply withtheprovisions ofarticle 31oftheTRIPs Agreement?
Theprovisions ofAlbanian lawongovernment useandcompulsory/non-voluntary licences
forpatents comply withtheprovisions ofArticle 31oftheTRIPs Agreement. Intheabove mentioned
article oftheTRIPs Agreement there areprovisions notincluded inAlbanian law. (Seeanswer to
thefollowing question)
Question 7.
Inwhich ways istheobligation towork thepatent satisfied? Willtheimportation ofthe
products incorporating thepatented invention satisfy local working?
Answer.
Albanian lawdoesnotprovide details inwhich cases thepatent invention hasnotbeenworked
orinsufficiently worked intheRepublic ofAlbania, butitismentioned thatthePatent Office does
notgrant thenon-voluntary licence ifthere certain circumstances existwhich justify thenon-working
ortheinsufficient working ofthepatent invention inAlbania. Itwilldepend onthecircumstances
iftheimportation oftheproduct incorporating thepatented invention whether itsatisfies thelocal
working.
Question 8.
Could theGovernment ofAlbania bemore specific about thegrounds forexclusion from
patentability?E.g.,whatismeantby"substancesobtainedthroughinternalnucleartransformation
formilitary purposes? Howareplant oranimal varieties protected, ifnotbypatents (Art.27.3 (b)
TRIPs Agreement)? How doestheAlbanian Government intend toimplement Art.27.3ofthe
TRIPs Agreement ingeneral?WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
Page4
Answer.
Theexclusions frompatentability comply withthemodern patents law.Plantoranimal varieties
arenotprotected bythislaw,buttheinformation onthisprotection hasbeen provided tothe
questionnaire onimport licensing andagriculture information (documet WT/ACC/ALB/19). The
Albanian lawcomplies withprovision 27.3.
Question 9.
Does Albanian lawgrant patent protection from thedateoffiling?
Answer.
TheAlbanian LawonIndustrial Property grants patent protection from thedateoffiling.
Question 10.
Areparties required toseekvoluntary licenses from thepatentee before theymayapply
foracompulsory license?
Answer.
Albanianlawdoesnotexplicitlydefinewhetherthepartiesarerequiredtoseekvoluntarylicenses
from thepatentee before theymayapply foracompulsory license.
Question 11.
Concerning theresponse toquestion 109,doesimportation satisfy theworking requirement
forpatents?
Ifnot,failure toallow imports tosatisfy theworking requirement would beinconsistent
withtheprohibition against discrimination intheenjoyment ofpatent rights based onwhether
something isimported ordomestically produced.
Answer.
Thefulfilment ofthese conditions depends onconcrete circumstances suchastheprice of
products, etc.
Semi-conductors (questions 113-114)
Question 12.
InWT/ACC/ALB/4 itismentioned thatLayout-Designs ofIntegrated Circuits arenot
protected byAlbanian lawbutthattheGovernment hastheintention towork onaprotective
scheme. Does theGovernment ofAlbanian already have anideawhat itscontents willbe?If
yes,could itgiveanoutline? What would betheapproximate time-frame untilsuchalawwould
beinforce?
Willthere beanylegislation ontheprotection oflayout-designs (topographies) ofintegrated
circuits? Willthere beanyregistration requirements? Which willbethebody responsible for
thesematters?Willthelegislationbeinfullconformitywitharticles35-38oftheTRIPsAgreement?WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
Page5
Does Albania plantoregulate theprotection oflayout-designs?
Theresponse toquestion 113indicates thattheGovernment ofAlbania willprepare an
actontheprotection oflayout designs ofintegrated circuits.
When willthedrafting oflegislation beundertaken andwhen isenactment oflegislation expected?
Please submit acopyofthedraft legislation totheSecretariat forreview bytheWorking Party.
Answer.
TheAlbanian Government hasunder consideration thepreparation ofalawonlayout-design
ofintegrated circuits. There isstillnooutline, butthispreparation willbebased onthearticles 35-38
oftheTRIPs Agreement. ThePatent Office willbetheresponsible body forthese matters.
Trademarks
Question 13.
Isthetrademark andservice mark legislation fullyinlinewitharticles 15-21 oftheTRIPs
Agreement? What aretherights conferred? Isuserequired inorder toobtain andmaintain
theregistration ofthemark?
Answer.
Albanian lawisinconformity witharticles 15-21 oftheTRIPs Agreement. Therights conferred
bytheAlbanian legislation regarding trademarks andservice marks areincluded inarticle 83ofthe
Albanian law. Theuseofthetrademark isrequired tomaintain theregistration ofthemark, butnot
toobtain it.
Question 14.
Could theAlbanian Government bemore specific about theprotection ofwell-known
trademarks?
According totheresponse toquestion 126,Albania doesnotcurrently provide trade secret
protection. When willAlbania prepare itslawtoprovide trade secret protection? How willthis
lawbedeveloped? How willtheGovernment ofAlbania enforce thisprotection.
When willAlbania prepare itslawtoprovide trade secret protection? How willthislaw
bedeveloped? How willtheGovernment ofAlbania enforce thisprotection?
Answer.
Asignisnotprotected asatrademark when itisuseisinconflict withtherights ofawell-known
trademark. Themeaning ofthewell-known trademark given byAlbanian lawisthesame asthatgiven
bytheArticle 6bisoftheParis Convention.
Question 15.
Could Albanian describe theroleandduties ofatrademark registrar?WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
Page6
Answer.
Themain duties ofthePatent Office are:
1. Patent Office administers alltheprocedures fortheregistration ofthetradeandservice marks;
2. According totheMadrid Agreement registers international trademarks applications;
3. Theoffice publishes thetrademark gazette;
4. Provides service information ontrademarks;
5. Prepares thetrademarks legislation.
Question 16.
Inrelation totrademarks, theAlbanian documentation indicates thatatrademark isvalid
for10years andcanberenewed foranadditional term of10years. Thisimplies thatafter the
additional 10years, thetrademark cannot berenewed. TheTRIPs Agreement requires that
trademarks arerenewable indefinitely.
Answer.
Thetrademark canberenewed every tenyears foranunlimited period oftime.
Question 17.
Intheresponse toquestion 116Albania usedtheterm"well-known mark". Please define
thisterm inthecontext oftheGovernment ofAlbania 'strademark law. Please include under
what procedure amark isconsidered well-known.
Answer.
Thedefinitionofthewell-knownmarkgivenbyAlbanianlawisinconformitywiththedefinition
ofarticle 6bisoftheParisConvention. Forthedefinition ofamarkasawell-known onetheinformation
oftheconsumers about themark willbetaken intoconsideration.
Question 18.
Theanswer tothepreviously noted question (116) indicates thatwell-known marks will
notberegistered buttheexplanation inquestion 118doesnotseem toauthorize sucharefusal.
Alsonomention ismade oftherefusal toregister amark thatismerely thename ofthething
withwhich themark isassociated. Please clarify howtheGovernment ofAlbania treats these
types oftrademarks.
Fiveyears istoolongbefore allowing amark tobecancelled fornon-use. What are
Albania 'splans toamend thelawtoshorten thetimebefore amark canbecancelled fornon-use.
Article 15(3) oftheTRIPs Agreement provides thatatrademark application shall not
berefused solely ontheground thatintended usehasnottaken place before theexpiry ofaperiod
ofthree years from thedateofapplication. U.S. lawwaschanged intheUruguay Round
Agreement Act(URAA) from twoyears tothree years ofnon-use cancellation ofamark tocomply
withTRIPs.WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
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Answer.
Albania willtakeintoaccount theamendment oftheexisting legislation toshorten thetime
before amark canbecancelled fornon-use.
Industrial Design (questions 123,124)
Question 19.
Istheprotection ofindustrial designs inAlbania fully inlinewiththearticles 25-26 of
theTRIPs Agreement.
Answer.
Yes. Theprotection ofindustrial design inAlbania isinlinewitharticles 25-26 oftheTRIPs
Agreement.
Question 20.
Could thegovernment ofAlbania clarify more clearly howindustrial designs areprotected?
Answer.
TheIndustrial Design isprotected bytheAlbanian law"OnIndustrial Property". Thesecond
partofthelawdeals withtheprotection ofindustrial design. Articles 59,60,64,67,68and70define
theconditions ofprotection, therighttoprotection, temporary protection ofindustrial designs exhibited
atinternational exhibitions, rights conferred byregistration andinfringement proceedings.
Question 21.
Under theTRIPs Agreement, theminimum term ofprotection forindustrial design is
10years. InAlbania, industrial designs areregistered for5years andmayberenewed twice
foraperiod of5years. Ifthere areanyconditions onsuchrenewal, thisrequirement maybe
inbreach oftheTRIPs Agreement. More information isneeded inrelation totherenewal of
industrial designs inAlbania ,
Answer.
Article 68defines thattheregistration forindustrial designs ismade for5years counted from
thefiling date. Theregistration mayberenewed foradditional terms of5years eachuptoatotal
termof15years counted from thefiling date. There arenoconditions forrenewal.
Question 22.
How doesAlbania plantodealwithpossible conflicts between copyright andindustrial
designs protection?
Answer ,
According toAlbanian legislation theprotection ofindustrial designs doesnotexclude any
other rights provided inthecopyright law.WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
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Geographic indications
Question 23.
Arethere anyregistration requirements toprotect geographical indications? Isthis
legislation inaccordance withArticles 22-24 oftheTRIPs Agreement?
Albania 'slawsinrelation togeographical indications appear tobeTRIPs consistent in
relation toordinary goods. However, noinformation hasbeenprovided relating totheadditional
protection ofgeographical indications forwines andspirits. Inthisregard, further information
needs tobeprovided toensure compliance withtheTRIPs Agreement.
Answer.
Albanian legislation hassome requirements fortheregistration ofgeographical indications.
TheAlbanian lawdoesnotprovide additional protection forwines andsprits according toarticle 234
ofTRIPs. Concerning article 24ofTRIPs, Albanian lawprovides fortheregistration ofindustrial
designs onbehalf ofaforeign person, onthebasisofaninternational agreement inreciprocal protection
ofappellation oforigin concluded bytheRepublic ofAlbania.
Trade Secrets (question 125)
Question 24.
Does thegovernment ofAlbania intend tointroduce aprotection oftrade secrets?
What arethereasons forAlbania nottoprotect trade secrets? Arethere anyplans to
change thissituation?
Answer.
TheAlbanian law"OnCompetition" provides forprotection oftrade secrets.
Competition andAnti-trust (questions 126-127)
Question 25.
HowdoestheGovernmentofAlbaniaintendtoimplementArt.40oftheTRIPsAgreement?
Answer.
Albania hasnotprepared theimplementing rules forthelaw"OnCompetition".