The Transliteration Act of official rules of writing Bulgarian names with the Latin alphabet became effective Sunday.

Municipalities are mandated by the Act to change all signs that don't comply with the rules and would face fines between BGN 500 and 1,200 if they fail do so.

Businesses and non-governmental organizations wishing to include in their names geographical locations or names of historic personalities would need to obey the transliteration rules as well. Fines are also set at BGN 500 to 1,200. The companies that already have such names, and have been writing them with Latin letters will be exempt from the rules.

The Act provides the strictest measures for publishers of manuals, school books, dictionaries, encyclopedia and reference books. Fines here range between BGN 2,000 and 5,000.

Distributors of advertisements and books with wrongly transliterated names would be fined BGN 400 for individuals and BGN 800 for businesses.

The rules apply to Internet content as well.

The Minister of State Administration, Nikolay Vasilev, and designated employees have the right to conduct checkups and issue fines. Fines up to BGN 100 cannot be appealed.

The rules do not apply to the writing of the country's name as Bulgaria due to the long-running tradition.

Those in doubt of the rules can check the official Ministry of State Administration site "Razbiraema Bulgaria" (Understandable Bulgaria).

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