Yes, it can be changed. The name is one of the items shown on the declaration under Art. 7 of Law No. 5187, and changing it is subject to the procedure in Art. 8.
The Name Is on the Declaration
When Art. 7 lists the contents of the declaration, it puts the name and nature of the publication first. The name is therefore one of the constituent items of the declaration.
The Procedure for a Change
Art. 8/2: every change in the content of the declaration is notified to the same authority within two weeks, with the necessary documents, by a new declaration.
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Period | Two weeks |
| How | By a new declaration |
| To whom | The same authority - the prosecutor's office for the place of management |
| Annex | With the necessary documents |
The Imprint Is Updated Too
Art. 4 lists the information to be shown on a periodical. When the name changes, the imprint changes; leaving the old name in the imprint can constitute the act of "showing contrary to the truth" in Art. 15 and produce a heavy fine for the responsible editor and the official they report to.
The Trade Mark Side Is Separate
The last sentence of Art. 9 contains a reservation: even where the declaration becomes void, the provisions of Decree-Law No. 556 on the Protection of Trade Marks are reserved.
Lapse of the Declaration Right
Art. 9/1 sets two periods: if the periodical is not published within one year of the date the declaration was filed, or if publication is interrupted for three years after it has begun, the declaration becomes void and the right it conferred lapses.
The Press Card and Official Announcement Sides
Art. 15 of the Press Card Regulation lists, as a separate condition for newspapers and magazines, the performance of the notification duty in Art. 36 where there is a change in workplace and/or title. So a change of name is notified on the Directorate of Communications side too.
We deal with the consequence on the official announcement side in the newspaper name change guide.
Checklist
- File the declaration of change with the prosecutor's office for the place of management within two weeks and keep the receipt.
- Update the imprint the same day - in every medium, print and digital.
- Check the trade mark register; the new name must not clash with someone else's registered mark.
- Notify the change of title to the Directorate of Communications (Reg. Art. 36).
- If you hold the right to official announcements, notify the Press Advertising Agency branch.
- If you are an internet news site, plan the domain change as well.
Summary
- A newspaper's name can be changed; the change is notified within two weeks by a new declaration to the prosecutor's office for the place of management.
- The imprint is updated at the same time.
- Trade mark rights are a separate regime and filing a declaration creates no trade mark right.