New Trademark Law Introduces Sweeping Amendments To Important Provisions

Romania substantially amended its trademark legislation via Law 112/2020 which entered into force on July 13, 2020. Amendments to the Implementing Regulations are expected in September 2020. The new law was enacted to implement the EU trademarks Directive 2015/2436 and make it a part of Romanian law by amending and supplementing the older Law 84/1998. The new law introduces a plethora of very important amendments which refresh the somewhat archaic Romanian trademark legislation and brings it in conformity with more contemporary international provisions. A summary of the most important provisions is provided below:

Graphical Representation of Marks No Longer Required

Romanian law previously required that a mark be capable of graphic representation to be eligible for trademark protection. Under the new law, a trademark may consist of any sign including, importantly, sounds, provided that it is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of the applicant from