Intellectual Property · Romania
Find your intellectual property lawyer in Romania
Romanian IP files turn on documents, deadlines and evidence, not on slogans. Tell us what happened and we match you with a lawyer who handles trade marks, copyright, patents, designs or licensing in Romania. The matching is free and confidential.
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A Romanian IP matter, explained before you commit
Intellectual property is often the asset a company protects least formally and defends most aggressively. A trade mark copied by a former distributor, software licensed on unclear terms, a design imitated by a competitor, or a licence that stops paying royalties — each of these problems is decided by documents, deadlines and evidence. This page explains how intellectual property matters are handled in Romania, from the courts that hear them to the fees, time limits and tax rules involved. If you need an intellectual property lawyer in Romania, we match you with a specialist who handles your type of file — trade marks, copyright, patents, designs or licensing — and the matching itself costs nothing.
Romania in practice
What shapes an intellectual property case in Romania
Romania follows the continental civil-law model, so your file will be built on codes, written evidence and procedural steps rather than on earlier judgments. Here are the practical features that most affect IP disputes, licensing and royalty claims in the country.
Which court hears the dispute
Ordinary courts sit in a four-tier hierarchy: the judecătorii (district courts), the tribunale (county courts, including the Bucharest Tribunal), the 15 curţi de apel (courts of appeal) and the Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie in Bucharest. Larger first-instance claims start at a tribunal and are appealed to a court of appeal; the High Court of Cassation and Justice sits at the apex.
Who may appear for your company
Membership of a Romanian Bar is compulsory to practise, and all bars are united in the National Association of Romanian Bars (UNBR) under Law No 51/1995. In civil and commercial matters parties may appear in person at first instance, but representation by a qualified lawyer is required before the courts of appeal and the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
Court fees and lawyers’ fees
Claims assessed in money carry a judicial stamp fee (taxă judiciară de timbru) under Government Emergency Ordinance No 80/2013, calculated on a degressive sliding scale and payable in advance for both first instance and appeal. Lawyers’ fees are freely negotiated; there is no binding official tariff, and the losing party may be ordered to pay reasonable costs.
Time limits on royalty and damages claims
The general limitation period for debt and contractual claims in Romania is three years, which is where claims for unpaid licence fees or contractual damages typically start — not where they necessarily end. Because the clock can be interrupted or suspended, a Romanian lawyer should review the file early rather than at the moment of filing.
Tax treatment of royalties
Romania applies a flat 10% personal income tax under the Fiscal Code (Law No 227/2015). Non-resident individuals are taxed only on Romanian-source income, such as royalties or capital gains on Romanian property, subject to any double-taxation convention, and certain payments may suffer withholding at source; a non-resident earning Romanian income should obtain a tax registration number from ANAF.
Public legal aid
Free legal aid in civil matters is regulated by Government Emergency Ordinance No 51/2008 and is available where average net monthly income per family member in the two preceding months falls below 300 lei. It can cover lawyers’, experts’ and bailiffs’ fees and can reduce or exempt court fees, subject to an annual cap on aid granted.
The country details above come from official Romanian and EU sources — the e-Justice Portal, the Romanian legislation portal and ANAF — retrieved in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Romania
- Law No 51/1995 on the organisation of the legal profession (Romanian legislation portal)
- Civil Code and limitation periods (Romanian legislation portal)
- GEO No 80/2013 on court fees and GEO No 51/2008 on legal aid
- Fiscal Code (Law No 227/2015) — consolidated norms, ANAF
Typical situations
When an IP file in Romania cannot wait
These are the enquiries clients most often bring to us. Each one is decided by the documents you hold and by how quickly you act.
A licence stops paying
Royalties stop arriving while the licensee keeps using the technology or the mark. The first questions are contractual: what the licence says, what evidence exists, and how much time has already run.
A competitor copies your brand
Packaging, a trade name or a design appears on the market in a form that is confusingly close. You need a clear view of your rights and of the fastest procedural route before the position hardens.
Ownership is unclear after a deal
After a sale, a restructuring or the departure of a founder, nobody can say with certainty who owns the software, the trade mark or the creative work. Ownership disputes are won on assignments and registers.
Why use the service
Matched, not marketed to
We do not sell legal services. We identify the right Romanian practice for your file and introduce you — nothing more, nothing less.
Specialism first
A licensing dispute, a trade mark opposition and a copyright claim need different experience. We look at the nature of your file before we suggest anyone, rather than sending the same names to every client.
Verified standing
Practising in Romania requires membership of a Romanian Bar and admission by examination, with a period as a trainee lawyer before qualified status. We match you with lawyers who are properly registered to act before Romanian courts.
Costs understood early
Romanian court fees follow a published sliding scale and lawyers’ fees are freely negotiated, so you should know both before you instruct. Your first conversation covers scope, likely steps and how fees will be structured.
Cross-border fluency
Foreign companies, non-resident licensors and heirs outside Romania regularly appear in Romanian IP files. We look for lawyers able to handle the language, the tax reporting point and any applicable double-taxation convention.
Also available in
Romanian IP help, European reach
If your matter crosses a border, we can also match you with practitioners in these jurisdictions.
Questions
Intellectual property in Romania: common questions
Do I need an intellectual property lawyer in Romania if my claim is modest?
Not always at first instance: in civil and commercial cases the parties may appear in person or be represented. Representation by a qualified lawyer is required before the courts of appeal and the High Court of Cassation and Justice, however, so a modest claim that may be appealed is worth reviewing with a lawyer early.
Which Romanian court will hear my IP dispute?
Romanian ordinary courts are organised in four tiers: district courts (judecătorii), county courts (tribunale, including the Bucharest Tribunal), the 15 courts of appeal (curţi de apel) and the High Court of Cassation and Justice. Larger first-instance claims begin at a tribunal, with appeals heard by a court of appeal.
Can a foreign company be represented in a Romanian court?
Only lawyers registered with a Romanian Bar may practise before the Romanian courts, and bar membership is compulsory under Law No 51/1995. A foreign company therefore instructs Romanian counsel, who may work alongside the client’s own advisers in another language.
How much does it cost to bring an IP claim in Romania?
Money claims carry a judicial stamp fee calculated on a sliding scale under Government Emergency Ordinance No 80/2013, payable in advance at both first instance and on appeal. Lawyers’ fees are freely negotiated with no binding tariff, and the losing party may be ordered to pay reasonable costs.
How long do I have to claim unpaid royalties in Romania?
The general limitation period for debt and contractual claims is three years. That is a general rule rather than a guarantee that three years are available in your file, so a Romanian lawyer should assess when the clock started and whether it was interrupted or suspended.
Is a Romanian court bound by earlier decisions on the same issue?
As a rule, court decisions are not a source of law in Romania, which follows the continental civil-law model. Decisions of the Constitutional Court are binding erga omnes, and certain rulings of the High Court of Cassation and Justice on points of law are mandatory for lower courts.
Next step
Tell us about your file — we will find the right match
Describe your intellectual property problem in a few lines: what the right covers, who is using it and what you want to stop or recover. We will identify a Romanian practice suited to that work and introduce you. No fees for the introduction, and no commitment to instruct.