The new laws are intended to align domestic law with key EU regulatory instruments, most notably Directive 2004/48/EC on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, Directive (EU) 2015/2436 on trademark harmonization, Directive (EU) 2016/943 on the protection of trade secrets, and a range of EU patent-related rules concerning biotechnology, supplementary protection certificates and compulsory licensing.
The new Trademark Law and Patent Law were adopted in June 2026, entered into force on 20 June 2026, and are set to apply from 21 June 2027, effectively creating a one-year transition period for institutional and procedural implementation.
The Trade Secrets Law follows a slightly different timeline. It was published in June 2026 and entered into force on 20 June 2026, with immediate application of its main provisions, except for one EU-accession-linked provision which constitutes an exception to the application of this Law and will apply only from the date BiH joins the European Union.
A brief overview of the most significant changes introduced by the new laws can be found here.
