Serbia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in serbia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Protecting Intellectual Property
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Effective protection of intellectual property (“IP”) rights in Serbia requires a well-considered strategy. IP must be registered and enforced locally per Serbian law. U.S. trademark, design, and utility patent registrations offer no protection in Serbia unless registered regionally (EU) or at the local office. Serbia operates on a first-to-file principle for patents, trademarks, and designs—meaning the first applicant to register will obtain ownership rights. The Serbian Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office (EPO), of which Serbia is a member, offer direct and bundle registration pathways. International mechanisms such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid Protocol can also expedite multi-country protection.

Copyrighted works originating in the U.S. are automatically protected in Serbia from creation or publication according to prevailing international agreements, but enforcement and duration can vary based on Serbian law. IP rights are fundamentally private rights; U.S. government support is limited to advice and advocacy, not enforcement. It is vital to seek legal counsel familiar with Serbian law and IP practice, including legal contracts with non-compete and confidentiality provisions. Take care when authorizing local partners to register IP on your behalf, as ownership disputes may arise. Companies should join local trade associations and collaborate with AmCham Serbia for anti-counterfeiting and advocacy.

For additional resources and international support:

  • STOPfakes.gov (U.S. government’s IP protection portal)

  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

  • U.S. Copyright Office

  • U.S. Department of Commerce IP attachés

  • Serbia’s Investment Climate Statement (U.S. State Department)

For more information, consult the latest Special 301 Report (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative).

IP Resources 

A wealth of information on protecting IP is freely available to United States rights holders.  Some excellent resources for companies regarding intellectual property include the following:  

For information about patent, trademark, or copyright issues — including enforcement issues in the United States and other countries — call the STOP! Hotline: 1-866-999-HALT or visit https://www.stopfakes.gov/. 

For more information about registering trademarks, obtaining designs or utility patents (both in the United States as well as in foreign countries), contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office  (USPTO) at: 1-800-786-9199. 

For more information about registering copyrighted works in the United States, contact the U.S. Copyright Office at: 1-202-707-5959. 

For more information on how to evaluate, protect, and enforce intellectual property rights and how these rights may be important for businesses, please visit the “Resources” section of the STOPfakes website.  For information on obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights and market-specific IP Toolkits visit: STOPfakes IPR Toolkits.  The toolkits contain detailed information on protecting and enforcing IP in specific markets and also contain contact information for local IPR offices abroad and United States government officials available to assist SMEs. 

For more information, please see the webpage on Protecting Intellectual Property. 

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes the Special 301 Report on an annual basis.  This report provides a review of IP protection and enforcement for United States trading partners around the world.  See 2022 edition of the Report.  

The U.S. Department of Commerce has positioned IP attachés in key markets around the world.  Here is the contact information for the Europe-based IP attachés: 

  •  The U.S. Mission to the European Union (based in Brussels, Belgium) 
    Serving the EU, EFTA, and UK 

  • The U.S. Embassy Ukraine (based in Kyiv, Ukraine) 
    Serving Central Eurasia and the Western Balkans 

  • World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (based in Geneva, Switzerland) 

For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Standards and Intellectual Property (OSIP) Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov. 

To access Serbia’s Investment Climate Statement, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.

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