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专利申请过程中还需要收取其他什么费用吗？ | 不需要，除非你要做主动变更和加快审查等涉及收费的手续。 |
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专利申请获得授权需要多久？ | 根据申请类型不同，所需要的时间不同。
现状来看，发明专利申请从申请到拿到证书需要大概三年左右的时间。实用新型和外观设计专利申请大概是10-12个月。 |
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委托专利代理人来办理，就一定可以获得授权吗？ | 不一定。专利申请是否能获得授权，是由国家知识产权局通过审查其是否符合相关的规定来决定的。专利代理人的工作只能是帮助你提高了通过国家知识产权局的审查的概率，而不可能保证你的文件获得授权。但是，因为国家知识产权局不对实用新型和外观设计专利进行实质审查，所以，这两类申请基本可以保证授权。 |
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专利申请获得授权后还有其他费用吗？ | 是的。
专利申请获得授权后，还需要每年缴纳专利年费才能维持其专利权利的有效状态。 |
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获得了专利证书，就表示你必然会拥有该专利权了吗？
| 否。
在专利授权之后，还有一个专利无效宣告程序。在专利权被授予后，任何人都可以向专利复审委员会提出请求，请求将你的专利宣告为无效专利。如果其请求获得批准，你的专利即被认为是从来没有存在过。所以，对于真正想获得保护的技术，一开始的专利申请文件就必须写好，不能只是为了获得专利证书而写，还要以该证书的效力能维持住为目的。 |
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为什么要申请国外专利？ | 因专利保护是一种国内法效力的保护，也就是说，如果产品或服务需进入某个国家的市场，从而需要在该国家获得专利保护时，必须向该国家的专利行政机关请求授权保护；因此，是否向国外申请专利是以自己的市场需求为导向的。 |
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什么是专利申请中的优先权？ | 专利申请优先权是指申请人自发明或者实用新型在外国第一次提出专利申请之日起十二个月内，或者自外观设计在外国第一次提出专利申请之日起六个月内，又在中国就相同主题提出专利申请的，依照该外国同中国签订的协议或者共同参加的国际条约，或者依照相互承认优先权的原则，可以享有的权利。 |
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专利申请被驳回该怎么办？ | 一般来讲，因代理人撰写申请文件的层次性，发明被驳回的可能性不大，除非对官方的审查意见进行消极回应，或者专利内容确实丧失可专利性（例如完全相同的专利申请在先）；
由于实用新型和外观设计不经实质审查程序，因此，除非对官方的审查意见消极回应，一般不会被驳回；但是，一旦被驳回时，就需分析被驳回的原因，如确实有可专利性的地方，就应修改自己的申请文件，克服其中存在的缺陷，并向专利复审委员会提请复审。 |
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专利申请有效期内要缴纳哪些费用？ | 专利申请过程中，需要申请官费和代理撰写和准备申请文件的费用；授权时需缴纳办登费用；授权后每年需缴纳年费，并且年费随授权后时间的增长而增加；具体费用数额可向所知识产权办公室咨询或者查阅我所的专利管理实施细则的有关条款规定；发明专利申请有额外的情况，即还需有提起实质审查的官费和代理答复审查意见的代理费用。根据化物所的先行政策，在专利申请到授权的三年保护期内，有关的代理费和官费是由所专利专项经费支付的。对申请国际专利，研究组将承担50%的费用。 |
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服刑期间获得的专利权归谁所有? | 专利的所有权属于谁要视情况而定。我国《专利法》第6条规定，执行本单位的任务或者主要是利用本单位的物质技术条件所完成的发明创造称为职务发明，申请专利权属于该单位。申请被批准后，单位申请的归单位所有或持有。”在服刑期间的罪犯利用自己的聪明才智，研究出了一项实用新型发明专利，如果他在研究和发明过程中，主要是利用监狱的资金、设备、材料或人力等物质条件的，则该项发明创造属于职务发明，申请专利权属单位。反之，该专利权属于罪犯个人所有。
相关依据：
《专利法》第6条 执行本单位的任务或者主要是利用本单位的物质技术条件所完成的发明创造为职务发明创造。职务发明创造申请专利的权利属于该单位；申请被批准后，该单位为专利权人。
非职务发明创造，申请专利的权利属于发明人或者设计人；申请被批准后，该发明人或者设计人为专利权人。
利用本单位的物质技术条件所完成的发明创造，单位与发明人或者设计人订有合同，对申请专利的权利和专利权的归属作出约定的，从其约定。 |
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什么是专利开放许可？ | 根据专利法第五十条规定，专利权人可自愿以书面方式向国务院专利行政部门声明愿意许可任何单位或者个人实施其专利，并明确许可使用费支付方式标准的，由国务院专利行政部门予以公告，实行开放许可。 |
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专利开放许可与传统专利许可有什么区别？ | 与传统专利许可方式（独占、排他和普通许可）相比，专利开放许可由专利权人主动申请启动，其被许可人为不特定对象，具有可撤回性、公开性和无歧视性。专利开放许可的许可模式只能是普通许可，不能是独占许可或排他许可。 |
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开放许可声明公告后是否可撤回？ | 可以撤回，以书面方式向专利局提出撤回请求，并由专利局审查后予以公告。开放许可声明被公告撤回的，不影响在先给予的开放许可的效力。 |
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如何实施开放许可的专利？ | 任何单位或者个人有意愿实施开放许可的专利的，以书面方式通知专利权人，并依照公告的许可使用费支付方式、标准支付许可使用费后，即获得专利实施许可。 |
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开放许可纠纷如何解决？ | 专利法规定当事人就实施开放许可发生纠纷的，由当事人协商解决；不愿协商或者协商不成的，可以请求国务院专利行政部门进行调解，也可以向人民法院起诉。 |
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国外某公司的技术已在锂电池上应用并在该国家销售，如果该技术没有在中国进行专利申请，我司是否可就该技术在中国进行专利申请？
| 不可以，既然已经上市销售就属于现有技术，不再满足《专利法》中有关新颖性的规定。现有技术不区分国内外，全世界范围内的发表公开和使用公开均会导致产品专利技术方案公开。
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合作开发或委托开发中的创新成果专利申请权属于谁？
| 《专利法》第八条规定，两个以上单位或者个人合作完成的发明创造、一个单位或者个人接受其他单位或者个人委托所完成的发明创造，除另有协议的以外，申请专利的权利属于完成或者共同完成的单位或者个人；申请被批准后，申请的单位或者个人为专利权人。
建议企业项目负责人在与供应商签订开发合同时，尽量将供应商应我方需求开发的技术成果进行专利申请，否则后续二轨开发或者继续开发会存在较大影响。
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不建议申请专利的情形包括哪些？
| 包括但不限于以下几种：
无应用前景或应用价值的技术；
只有想法、功能、效果，没有具体实施方案的阐述；
维权困难的技术。
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怎样确定技术方案可以申请哪种类型的专利？
| 发明：方法类、产品类，技术创新性较高的技术方案。
实用新型：产品、结构类，技术创新性一般的技术方案。
外观设计：造型设计（胶带的外观结构等），UI用户界面等。
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如何判断是以专利群（组）申请还是单个专利申请？
| 多个技术方案之间存在技术上的较强关联性，建议通过专利群（组）的方式申请，且相关性较高的还建议作为同日申请进行申请，这样可以更全面保护的同时还可以防止“自己与自己打架”；如果方案之间不存在较强关联性，单独申请即可。
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什么样的方案才能申请PCT专利？
| 优先考虑核心的、创新性较高的技术方案，且一般为涉及计划海外市场布局或需要海外市场布局的产品的技术方案。
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专利申请被国家知识产权局驳回后还有补救措施吗？
| 有，可以请求专利复审委员会复审，但是要产生一定的费用和工作量，如认为被驳回的专利还有授权的可能性以及有授权的需求，可提出复审请求。
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专利公开就代表授权了吗？
| 目前实用新型(尾号U)和外观设计(尾号S)专利只要国家知识产权局公开即代表授权；
发明专利申请公开(尾号A)不代表授权，还需要进行实质审查，审查后发明专利申请的权利要求书实质上具备新颖性、创造性和实用性，同时发明专利申请的整体内容也不存在形式缺陷才能被授予专利权。
PS. 被授权的专利才能用于维权，但是根据专利法第十三条的规定：“发明专利申请公布后，申请人可以要求实施其发明的单位或者个人支付适当的费用”，即发明专利公开后有“临时保护”的规定，但是“实施其发明的单位或者个人”可以拒绝支付，只有当发明专利授权后才能借助国家强制力实现费用要求权。
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专利越早公开/授权越好吗？
| 不一定。
专利保护期自申请日起开始计算，抢占了申请日之后，权利要求保护范围越早确定反而对企业越不利，悬而未决的专利反而威慑性更高。对于创新性比较高的专利，反而是越晚公开越好，否则只会早早培育模仿者，而且还可能因为申请策略不当丧失外围专利的申请机会，将来会受制于人。
而对于需要尽早获得授权以申报项目或者维权的技术方案，当然是越早授权越好。
评估后对于意欲提前公开的，可以在递交申请时或递交申请后的18个月内，提交“要求提前公布声明”，根据专利法实施细则第四十六条的规定：“申请人请求早日公布其发明专利申请的，应当向国务院专利行政部门声明。国务院专利行政部门对该申请进行初步审查后，除予以驳回的外，应当立即将申请予以公布”。申请日18个月后发明专利会自动公开。
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公开的专利都是有效的专利吗？
| 不一定。专利公开以后还要看它的法律状态才能确定其是否有效。通常公开后的发明专利具有申请公布，实质审查，驳回，无效等法律状态，驳回和无效的专利为失效状态，公开和实质审查阶段的专利为在审状态，尚未授权。
侵权防控
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什么情况下要进行专利侵权风险检索？
| 凡是新的技术方案或外观设计，原则上都应该进行专利侵权风险检索，包括但不限于以下几种情况：
有对标对象的技术方案；
二轨供应商开发所涉及的技术方案；
特定下游产品专用配方、结构或首用配方、结构所用的技术方案；
自主开发的产品结构、配方等。
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自主研发的技术也要进行专利侵权风险检索吗？
| 需要。因为任何技术都可能有竞争对手在同时开展研究，可能已经申请专利，为将风险降到最低，同时降低开发成本，需进一步针对目标市场，甚至是全世界范围内开展专利侵权风险检索分析。
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二轨开发都需要进行专利侵权风险检索吗？
| 需要。二轨开发也属于技术开发，可能竞争对手早已针对二轨开发的技术申请专利保护，因此需要进行专利侵权风险检索分析。
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什么是专利布局？为什么要进行专利布局？
| 专利布局，是指对企业专利技术的申请数量、申请领域、申请覆盖区域、申请覆盖年限等进行总体布局的行为，简单来讲，专利布局即有针对性、有策略、有目的的专申请组合。
专利布局的意义在于，
广义上：
提高企业专利整体价值；
提升企业市场竞争力；
最大限度发挥专利武器在企业竞争中的作用；
狭义上：
有利于正确引导研发方向；
促进理性研发，提高研发成效；
理性申请，节省申请成本；
利于构建合理保护网，避免零散、杂乱无章的申请。
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怎样进行专利布局？
| 路障式：某技术目标必须的一种或几种解决方案申请
城墙式：某技术目标所有规避设计方案全部申请
地毯式：某技术目标所有技术解决方案全部申请
围栏式：核心由竞争者掌握，将围绕该核心技术主题的许多解决方案申请
糖衣式：核心由本企业掌握，将围绕该技术主题的许多解决方案申请。
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专利布局的范围是怎样的？
| 布局范围可以是同时产生的多个关联方案，亦可以是持续改进的方案，但始终脱离不了两个因素，一个是组合的性质，另一个是申请的策略。
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专利布局的职责谁承担？
| 研发工程师负责提供完整的技术方案，对标信息，行业信息及应用情况信息等，专利工程师负责检索技术方案的新创性，并挖掘潜在方案，提供撰写策略，申请策略等。
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是不是要等样品做出来才能申请专利？
| 不用。
有了具备新颖性、创造性和实用性的发明创造构思，且技术方案完整、清楚，就可以申请专利，没有必要非得制作出样品来。
申请专利只需提交规范的专利申请文件，不需要提供样品、模型或产品，在某些特殊情况下，专利审查员为便于理解发明创造，可能会让申请人提交样品或模型，涉及微生物的发明要求作菌种保藏，这些则属于专利申请中的样品。
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软件能申请专利吗?祖传秘方能申请专利吗？
| 软件的技术方案可以申请发明专利。
疾病的诊断和治疗方法不可，但具体配方可申请发明专利。
关于发明专利25. 申请发明专利的时间要多久？
从申请日到授权，约需 2.5—3.5 年。
但不同的技术领域、不同的审查部门甚至不同的审查员，其案件积压程度并不相同，因此审查所需时间也各不相同。
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专利无效宣告程序怎样？
| 1 无效请求人向专利复审委员会提出申请；2 专利复审委员会进行形式审查；3 如果符合受理条件则予以受理并通知无效请求人和专利权人（即被请求人）；4 被请求人在期限内答辩并可提出证据；5 口头审理，合议审查；6 做出审查决定。
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What is a patent? | A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention. In other words, a patent is an exclusive right to a product or a process that generally provides a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a patent application.
The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms. The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent. Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain; that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent. |
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What rights does a patent provide? | A patent owner has the right to decide who may – or may not – use the patented invention for the period in which the invention is protected. In other words, patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed, imported, or sold by others without the patent owner's consent. |
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What kinds of inventions can be protected? | Patents may be granted for inventions in any field of technology, from an everyday kitchen utensil to a nanotechnology chip. An invention can be a product – such as a chemical compound, or a process, for example – or a process for producing a specific chemical compound. Many products in fact contain a number of inventions. For example, a laptop computer can involve hundreds of inventions, working together. |
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How long does patent protection last? | Patent protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years from the filing date of the application. |
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Is a patent valid in every country? | Patents are territorial rights. In general, the exclusive rights are only applicable in the country or region in which a patent has been filed and granted, in accordance with the law of that country or region. |
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How are patent rights enforced? | Patent rights are usually enforced in a court on the initiative of the right owner. In most systems a court of law has the authority to stop patent infringement. However the main responsibility for monitoring, identifying, and taking action against infringers of a patent lies with the patent owner. |
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What does it mean to “license a patent” and why is it done? | Licensing a patent simply means that the patent owner grants permission to another individual/organization to make, use, sell etc. his/her patented invention. This takes place according to agreed terms and conditions (for example, defining the amount and type of payment to be made by the licensee to the licensor), for a defined purpose, in a defined territory, and for an agreed period of time.
A patent owner may grant a license to a third party for many reasons. The patent owner may not have the necessary manufacturing facilities, for example, and therefore opts to allow others to make and sell his/her patented invention in return for “royalty” payments. Alternatively, a patent owner may have manufacturing facilities, but they may not be large enough to cover market demand. In this case, he/she may be interested in licensing the patent to another manufacturer in order to benefit from another income stream. Another possible situation is one in which the patent owner wishes to concentrate on one geographic market; therefore the patent owner may choose to grant a license to another individual/organization, with interests in other geographical markets. Entering into a licensing agreement can help to build a mutually-beneficial business relationship.
Unlike selling or transferring a patent to another party, the licensor continue to have property rights over the patented invention. |
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Why are patents useful (to society, business, individuals etc.)? | Patented inventions have, in fact, pervaded every aspect of human life, from electric lighting (patents held by Edison and Swan) and plastic (patents held by Baekeland), to ballpoint pens (patents held by Biro), and microprocessors (patents held by Intel, for example).
Patents provide incentives to and protection for individuals by offering them recognition for their creativity and the possibility of material reward for their inventions. At the same time, the obligatory publication of patents and patent applications facilitates the mutually-beneficial spread of new knowledge and accelerates innovation activities by, for example, avoiding the necessity to “re-invent the wheel”.
Once knowledge is publicly available, by its nature, it can be used simultaneously by an unlimited number of persons. While this is, without doubt, perfectly acceptable for public information, it causes a dilemma for the commercialization of technical knowledge. In the absence of protection of such knowledge, “free-riders” could easily use technical knowledge embedded in inventions without any recognition of the creativity of the inventor or contribution to the investments made by the inventor. As a consequence, inventors would naturally be discouraged to bring new inventions to the market, and tend to keep their commercially valuable inventions secret. A patent system intends to correct such under-provision of innovative activities by providing innovators with limited exclusive rights, thereby giving the innovators the possibility to receive appropriate returns on their innovative activities.
In a wider sense, the public disclosure of the technical knowledge in the patent, and the exclusive right granted by the patent, provide incentives for competitors to search for alternative solutions and to “invent around” the first invention. These incentives and the dissemination of knowledge about new inventions encourage further innovation, which assures that the quality of human life and the well-being of society is continuously enhanced. |
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What conditions must be met to obtain patent protection? | There are numerous conditions that must be met in order to obtain a patent and it is not possible to compile an exhaustive, universally applicable list. However, some of the key conditions include the following:
The invention must show an element of novelty; that is, some new characteristic which is not known in the body of existing knowledge in its technical field. This body of existing knowledge is called “prior art”.
The invention must involve an “inventive step” or “non-obvious”, which means that it could not be obviously deduced by a person having ordinary skill in the relevant technical field.
The invention must be capable of industrial application, meaning that it must be capable of being used for an industrial or business purpose beyond a mere theoretical phenomenon, or be useful.
Its subject matter must be accepted as “patentable” under law. In many countries, scientific theories, aesthetic creations, mathematical methods, plant or animal varieties, discoveries of natural substances, commercial methods, methods for medical treatment (as opposed to medical products) or computer programs are generally not patentable.
The invention must be disclosed in an application in a manner sufficiently clear and complete to enable it to be replicated by a person with an ordinary level of skill in the relevant technical field. |
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Who grants patents? | A patent is granted by a national patent office or by a regional office that carries out the task for a number of countries. Currently, the following regional patent offices are in operation:
African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI)
African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)
Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO)
European Patent Office (EPO)
Patent Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC Patent Office)
Under such regional systems, an applicant requests protection for an invention in one or more member states of the regional organization in question. The regional office accepts these patent applications, which have the same effect as national applications, or grants patents, if all the criteria for the grant of such a regional patent are met.
There is currently, no universal, international system for the grant of patents. |
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Do I need a patent attorney/agent to prepare and file a patent application? | In general, applicants can prepare their patent applications and file them without assistance from a patent attorney. However, given the complexity of patent documents and the legal skills required, such as claim drafting, it is highly advisable to seek legal assistance from a patent attorney/agent when drafting a patent application.
Furthermore, the legislation of many countries requires that an applicant, whose ordinary residence or principal place of business is outside the country, be represented by an attorney or agent qualified in the country (which usually means an agent or attorney who resides and practices in that country). Information on the qualified attorneys and agents can be obtained directly from national and regional IP offices. |
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How much does it cost to patent an invention? | The costs vary considerably from country to country (and even within a country). As the official fees vary widely from country to country, please contact the relevant national or regional patent office which will be able to give you details on the fee structure. Consult our list of national and regional intellectual property offices.
The cost of patenting an invention depends on factors such as the nature of the invention, its complexity, patent attorney’s fees, the length of the application, and possible objections raised during the examination by the patent office. Some countries offer discounts to small- and medium-sized enterprises and applicants filing the application online. In addition, some countries allow expedited examination upon payment of additional fees.
In addition to the national official filing fees, once a patent is granted by the patent office, you must pay maintenance or renewal fees, generally on an annual basis, to maintain the validity of the patent.
In case you decide to patent your invention abroad, you should also consider the relevant official filing fees for each country in question, the translation costs, and the costs of using local patent agents, which is a requirement in many countries for foreign applicants. |
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How can patents be obtained worldwide? | At present, you cannot obtain a universal “world patent” or “international patent”. Patents are territorial rights. In general, an application for a patent must be filed, and the patent granted and enforced, in each country in which you seek patent protection for your invention, in accordance with the law of that country. Therefore, one way of obtaining patents in a number of countries is to file a national patent application with each relevant national patent office.
In some regions, a regional patent office, for example, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), accepts regional patent applications, or grants patents. These have the same effect as applications filed, or patents granted, in the member states of that region. This means that, in certain regions, you can obtain a regional patent from a regional patent office, which is valid in some or all of its member states.
If you are seeking patent protection in a number of countries worldwide, a good option is to file an international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), administered by WIPO. Any resident or national of a state party to the PCT (contracting state) can file a single international application which has the effect of a national patent application (and certain regional patent applications) in some or all PCT contracting states. In some cases, this can be a more straightforward choice than choosing to try to submit individual applications in each and every country in which you require protection. Find out more about the PCT System. |
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What practical steps do I have to take to obtain patent protection? | The first step in securing a patent is the filing of a patent application. Many patent offices provide a specific form to fill in. In some patent offices, you can file a patent application on line.
In the patent application, in general, you must describe the title of the invention, as well as provide an indication of its technical field. You must also include the background to and a description of the invention, in clear language and enough detail that a person with an average understanding of the field could use or reproduce the invention. Such descriptions are usually accompanied by visual materials such as drawings, plans, or diagrams to better describe the invention and an abstract, which contains a brief summary of the invention. You must also clearly and concisely define the matter for which patent protection is sought in the “claims” part of the patent application.
In addition, depending on the applicable patent law, you may need to submit various kinds of statements, declarations or supporting documents to a patent office. In view of the complexity it is recommended that you consult a patent attorney or a patent agent to prepare a patent application. |
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What happens after I’ve submitted my application? | The procedures vary significantly from one country to another, so it is impossible to provide an exhaustive step-by-step overview. If you wish to research a country’s legislation in the field of patents independently, you can browse the WIPO Lex database of intellectual property (IP) legislation from around the world.
However it is recommended that you consult either a practicing lawyer specializing in IP or the relevant IP office. Consult our directory of national and regional IP offices. |
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Can the decision to grant a patent be challenged? | The grant of a patent can be challenged either via a patent office or in a court of law. A court may invalidate or revoke a patent upon a successful challenge by a third party. In addition, many patent offices provide administrative procedures that allow third parties to oppose to the grant of a patent (including so-called "opposition systems"), for example, on the basis that the claimed invention is not new or does not involve an inventive step.
Procedures for challenging patents differ from country to country. Find out more about opposition systems. |
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Is it possible to extend the term of patent protection? | In some countries, patent protection may be extended beyond 20 years or a Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) may be issued in very specific cases. The extension aims to compensate for the time expended on the administrative approval procedure before products can be put on the market. The time taken for this procedure means that the patent owner may sometimes not be able to benefit from his right for a considerable period of time after the grant of the patent. |
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How are patents relevant to my business? | While it is certainly true that not all enterprises develop patentable inventions, it is a wrong to believe that patents only apply to complex physical or chemical processes and products or that they are only useful to large corporations. Patents can be obtained for any area of technology from paper clips to computers.
Moreover, when people think of patents, what usually comes to mind are major scientific breakthroughs such as Edison’s first electric lamp, or large corporations investing in research and development. But, in fact, most patents aren’t granted for groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, but rather for inventions that make improvements to existing inventions. For example the second or third generation of a product or a process, that works in a more cost-effective or efficient manner.
Certain countries also have specific legal provisions for protecting incremental innovations. These are called utility models and they tend to have a shorter duration than patents and are generally easier to obtain. |
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Why should I consider patenting my inventions? | Exclusive rights: Patents provide you with an exclusive right to prevent or stop others from commercially exploiting an invention for twenty years from the date of filing of the patent application.
Return on investments: Having invested a considerable amount of money and time in developing innovative products, through exclusive patent rights, you may be able to establish yourself in the market as the pre-eminent player and to obtain higher returns on investments.
Opportunity to license or sell the invention: If you choose not to exploit the patent yourself, you may sell it or license the commercialization of the patented invention to another enterprise, which could then be a source of income for your company.
Increase in negotiating power: If your company is in the process of acquiring the rights to use the patents of another enterprise through a licensing contract, your patent portfolio will enhance your bargaining power. That is to say, your patents may prove to be of considerable interest to the enterprise with which you are negotiating, and you could enter into a cross-licensing arrangement where, simply put, your enterprise and the other agree to license respective patents to each other.
Positive image for your enterprise: Business partners, investors and shareholders may perceive patent portfolios as a demonstration of the high level of expertise, specialization, and technological capacity within your company. This may prove useful for raising funds, finding business partners and raising your company’s market value. |
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What happens if I don’t patent my inventions? | If you don’t patent your invention, competitors may well take advantage of it. If the product is successful, many other competitor firms will be tempted to make the same product by using your invention without needing to ask for your permission. Larger enterprises may take advantage of economies of scale to produce the product more cheaply and compete at a more favorable market price. This may considerably reduce your company’s market share for that product. Even small competing enterprises may be able to produce the same product, and often sell it at a lower price as they would not have to recoup the original research and development costs incurred by your company.
But that’s not all. The possibilities to license, sell or transfer technology will be severely hindered if you don’t patent your invention; indeed, without intellectual property (patent) rights, transfers of technology would be difficult if not impossible. The transfer of technology assumes that one or more parties have legal ownership of a technology and this can only be effectively obtained through appropriate intellectual property (IP) protection. Without IP protection for the technology in question, all sides tend to be suspicious of disclosing their inventions during technology transfer talks, fearing that the other side may “run away with the invention”.
Finally, you have to consider the possibility that someone else may patent your invention first. The first person or enterprise to file a patent for an invention will have the right to the patent. This may in fact mean that, if you do not patent your inventions or inventions made the employees of your company, somebody else – who may have developed the same or an equivalent invention later – may do so. Thus they could legitimately exclude your enterprise from the market, limit your activities to the continuation of prior use (where the patent legislation provides for such an exception), or ask your company to pay a licensing fee for using the invention.
However, to ensure that no one is able to patent your invention, instead of filing a patent application, you may disclose the invention to the public so that it becomes prior art for any patent application that will be filed after your publication, thereby placing it in the public domain (commonly known as defensive publication). Because of the existence of such prior art, later filed patent applications containing the same or similar invention will be refused by a patent office on the grounds of the lack of novelty or inventive step. At the same time, if you disclose your invention before filing a patent application, you will severely limit your possibility of obtaining patent protection on that invention. |
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How do I go about licensing my patent to a 3rd party? | Each situation is unique, so there is no one “correct” way to go about licensing a patent. In some countries, a patent applicant’s intention to grant a license to third parties can be published in the official gazette. To find out more, get in touch with your national IP office.
In general however, it is possible to say that if you intend to license your patent, what is important is diligent preparation. Before starting negotiation with a potential licensee, you should be informed of the current situation and future prospects of the relevant market and technology. Moreover, you should find out about the commercial state of a potential licensee and the associated financial value of your patent, etc. You should reflect on your own business objectives and carefully consider how entering into a licensing agreement fits into your short- and long-term business strategies. |
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Are utility models and trade secrets alternatives to patent protection? | In many cases, where an enterprise has merely improved an existing product and the said improvement is not sufficiently inventive to be deemed patentable, utility models may represent a good alternative, if available in the country in question. On occasions, it may be advisable for your company to keep its innovations as trade secrets which requires, in particular, that sufficient measures are taken to keep the information confidential.
Another alternative strategy could be to ensure that no one is able to patent your invention by disclosing it (commonly known as defensive publication), thereby assuring its place in the public domain. However, you should carefully reflect on using this strategy, since if you disclose your invention before filing a patent application, you will severely limit your possibility to obtain patent protection. |
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My employee has invented a new product or process: Who will own the rights to the patent? | In most countries, if an employee has developed an invention in execution of his/her employment contract – i.e. usually during his/her working time within the enterprise – the invention (and the related patent rights) will belong to the enterprise. To avoid confusion and possible disputes, employers often specify issues of intellectual property ownership in employment contracts. Depending on the merits of the case, the employee may, however, have a right to equitable remuneration in accordance with legislative provisions or the employment contract. In any case, the employee will always retain the right to be mentioned as the inventor, unless he/she expressly renounces this right. |
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What is patent information? | Patent information commonly refers to the information found in patent applications and granted patents. This information may include bibliographic data about the inventor and patent applicant or patent holder, a description of the claimed invention and related developments in the field of technology, and a list of claims indicating the scope of patent protection sought by the applicant.
But why would patent applicants disclose such extensive information about their inventions? The reason is that the patent system balances the exclusive rights granted to a patent holder over an invention with the obligation to publicly disclose information about the newly developed technology.
The requirement that a patent applicant disclose information about their invention(s) is very important for the continuous development of the technology. This information provides a basis on which new technical solutions can be developed by other inventors. Without publication there would be no way for the public to get information about new technical developments. It is therefore not surprising that providing information for the public is a key task of industrial property offices. |
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Why should I care about patent information? | Patent documents contain technological information that is often not divulged in any other form of publication, covering practically every field of technology. They have a relatively standardized format and are classified according to technical fields to make identifying relevant documents even easier (for more information, see “General Information on the International Patent Classification System PDF, International Patent Classification System ”). All in all, they are a vast store of easily accessible human knowledge.
The information contained in patent documents can be very useful to researchers, entrepreneurs, and many others, helping them:
avoid duplication of research and development work;
build on and improve existing products or processes;
assess the state-of-the-art in a specific technological field, e.g. to get an idea of the latest developments in this field;
evaluate the patentability of inventions, in particular the novelty and inventiveness of inventions (important criteria for determining their patentability), with a view to applying for patent protection domestically or abroad;
identify inventions protected by patents, in particular to avoid infringement and seek opportunities for licensing;
monitor activities of potential partners and competitors both within the country and abroad; and
identify market niches or discover new trends in technology or product development at an early stage. |
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What is the Patent Trial and Appeal Board doing to provide a level playing field in their trials involving independent inventors and small companies? | During rulemaking, the Board received and took into account comments from the public, including independent inventors and small companies. The Board's proceedings are intended to provide a quicker, less expensive alternative to district court patent litigation. Discovery is limited and deadlines are established for the completion of trials. The Board believes this is to the benefit of all parties, including independent inventors and small companies. |
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How Do I Conduct Patent Searches? | Patents, just as publications in specialist journals, provide insights into the scientific environment of your area of work/interest. The information content of both forms of publication is equal and there is often no overlap of information. The difference between patents and scientific publications is their purpose: Patents pursue an economic purpose.The Office of Technology Transfer regularly conducts patent searches and offers trainings . Seminars for individual departments are available on request. |
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What is the preferred format for claim charts? | Claim charts should be presented in a readable format so that a reader (e.g., the patent owner or a deciding official) is able to locate the disputed claim limitations and the relied-upon portions of the prior art quickly. Presenting claim limitations and prior art teachings in a single column format and/or without appropriate spacing creates inefficiency and, at times, appears to circumvent the page limit set forth in 37 C.F.R. § 42.24. Claim limitations should be presented in a separate column (e.g., claim limitations should be presented in a separate column (e.g., claim limitations in the left column and prior art teachings in the right column), and each claim should be presented in a separate chart. |
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What is the role of Licensing and Review? | The role of Licensing and Review (L&R) is to administer the Patent Secrecy Act as defined by 35 U.S.C. 181-186 and 37 CFR part 5. The primary function of this Act is to prevent publication of an application as a patent or a patent application publication where such disclosure would be detrimental to U.S. national security. Additionally, the Act provides for the licensing of applications for export for the purposes of filing for patents abroad. The duties of L&R include: Reviewing all applications for patent (provisional, utility, design, PCT (where the U.S. is the receiving office)) to determine whether a foreign filing license may be granted; Managing all existing secrecy orders pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 181 and 37 CFR part 5; Treating all petitions for expedited foreign filing licenses pursuant to 37 CFR 5.12-5.14; and Policing the property rights of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) by administering a portion of the NASA Act as provided for in 42 U.S.C. 2457, and a portion of the Atomic Energy Act as provided for in 42 U.S.C. 2181-2182. |
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What international conventions protect patent rights? | The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) was signed in 1970 to streamline the formalities and procedures of international patent applications, including facilitat-THE BASICS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: A Q&A FOR STUDENTSing the process of obtaining patent protection in multiple countries.The Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (the Hague Agreement), concluded in 1925, seeks to facilitate applications to obtain protection for industrial designs in multiple countries.The Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification (the Strasbourg Agreement) was signed in 1971 for the purpose of unifying the international classification of patents.The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (the Budapest Treaty), concluded in 1977, addresses the preservation of microbiological samples involved in patent applications. |
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What international conventions protect copyright and related rights? | The 1886 Berne Convention protects the rights of authors of literary, artistic and scientific works. The Berne Convention has been updated over the years, and most WIPO member states now belong to the 1971 Act.The Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (the Rome Convention) was adopted in 1961 to protect the rights of performers, producers of phonograms (i.e. sound recordings) and broadcast-ing organizations.The Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms from Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (the Phonograms Convention or the Convention on Recordings), adopted in 1971, protects the rights of producers of phonograms.The WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), adopted in 1996, updates the protection of the rights of authors of literary, artistic and scientific works for the digital era, especially the rights of communication to the public via the Internet.The WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), adopted in 1996, updates the protection of the rights of performers and producers of phonograms for the digital era, especially the right of communication to the public via the Internet.The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (the Beijing Treaty), adopted in Beijing, China in June 2012 (not yet in force), is intended to update and expand protection of the rights of performers in audiovisual works for the digital era.The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled (Marrakesh Treaty or MVT) is intended to encourage the adoption and harmonization of limitations and exceptions to allow the creation and cross-border transfer of works in formats accessible to the blind, visually impaired and otherwise print disabled. |
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What international conventions protect trademark rights? | The Paris Convention contains an important number of provisions for the protection of trademark rights.The Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (the Madrid Agreement), concluded in 1891, addresses the issue of interna-tional registration of trademarks.The Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (the Nice Agreement), adopted in 1957, aims to harmonize the classification of goods and services for trademark registration.The Vienna Agreement for Establishing an International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (the Vienna Agreement), adopted in 1973, unifies the international classification of figurative elements of trademarks.The Trademark Law Treaty, signed in 1994, aims to simplify and coordinate national trademark registration systems.The Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, signed in 2006, expands the scope of application of the Trademark Law Treaty, and enriches the types of registrable trademarks and registration procedures, thanks to new advances in information and communication technology. |
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What international conventions protect other IP rights? | The International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, concluded in 1961, protects rights in new plant varieties.
The Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated Circuits, adopted in 1989, protects exclu-sive rights to layout designs of integrated circuits. |
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What are the basic principles of international IP protection? | An international IP protection system has gradually formed since the 1880s. Basically, IP is protected internationally on the principles of national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, independent protec-tion, minimal protection standards, priority, transpar-ency, and the public interest. |
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What is the “national treatment” principle? | As the most basic principle in international IP protec-tion, national treatment requires a country to accord the same protection to the nationals of a foreign country as to its own nationals. Here the term “foreign country” refers not to just any foreign country, but to those members of an international IP treaty, such as the Paris Convention, however. In addition, under the Paris Convention and other international IP treaties, even in the event that a foreigner is not a national of a Paris Convention member, they may enjoy national treatment if they have some kind of a relationship with a member country; for example, if they have a residence or a real and valid business in the territory of the member country.
The principle of national treatment allows foreign nationals the same treatment as nationals on some important substantive issues, but not in all aspects. Foreign nationals are distinguished from nationals with respect to some procedural issues. With regard to patent prosecution, for example, a foreign national without a fixed residence or business premises in the country in which their application is filed must apply through a patent agency, while nationals are not required to do so. Such procedural distinction is made to allow for the difficulty in the service of documents and for foreigners’ general unfamiliarity with the laws of the country. |
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¿En qué categorías se divide la propiedad intelectual? | En términos generales, existen dos maneras de clasi-ficar los derechos de propiedad intelectual. Una es dividir la propiedad intelectual en derechos de autor (véase la pregunta 54) y propiedad industrial, lo que supone separar los derechos de autor de otras formas de propiedad intelectual.Esto plantea la pregunta: ¿qué es la “propiedad indus-trial”? Por una parte, si uno escribe un libro, pinta un cuadro o compone música para su propio disfrute, es autor de una obra creativa, que se considerará habitual-mente protegida por un derecho de autor o copyright. Por otra parte, una creación de la mente utilizada en la industria y el comercio propiamente dichos, así como en las industrias agrícolas y extractivas, puede nece-sitar una forma diferente de protección, y entra dentro de la categoría de derecho de propiedad industrial.La otra forma de clasificación es dividir la propiedad intelectual en creaciones de la mente y distintivos comerciales, esto es, separar las marcas y las indica-ciones geográficas (véase la pregunta 122) de otras formas de PI. Según esta clasificación, el valor de una patente se deriva de la invención del inventor y el valor de un derecho de autor de la creación literaria y artística del autor, mientras que el valor de una marca depende de la buena imagen que esta genere, más que de la creatividad intrínseca de la propia marca. Por ejemplo, la marca “Coca-Cola” vale miles de millones, pero su valor se deriva principalmente de la buena imagen que la empresa ha generado con el paso del tiempo en sus operaciones comerciales, en lugar de basarse en el diseño de la marca en sí misma. |
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¿Cuáles son las características de la PI? | En comparación con los derechos de propiedad tradicionales, los derechos de propiedad intelectual son intangibles por naturaleza. Es más, son exclusi-vos, territoriales y tienen una limitación temporal. Sin embargo, esto solo es cierto en un sentido relativo y no significa que todos los tipos de derechos de propiedad intelectual tengan estas características. Existen algunas excepciones. Por ejemplo, mientras no se divulgue, un secreto comercial puede perdurar eternamente en teoría, sin límite de tiempo. |
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¿En qué consiste la exclusividad de la PI? | El propietario de la PI, o “titular del derecho” de PI tiene la exclusividad sobre la utilización del activo de PI. Sin el permiso del titular del derecho o en ausencia de un motivo lícito, nadie está autorizado a utilizar la PI del titular del derecho. En el caso de las patentes y de las marcas, la exclusividad también implica que no pueden coexistir dos o más derechos idénticos.Por ejemplo, si la Empresa A solicita una patente para una solución técnica y se le concede, no se podrá conceder protección de patente para la misma solución técnica a otras partes. Sin embargo, es importante resaltar que la exclusividad se aplica a la invención protegida, y no al objeto de esta invención. Así pues, un teléfono inteligente que incorpora una o varias patentes pasará a ser propiedad del comprador una vez vendido, pero el titular de los derechos podrá utilizar las patentes para evitar que terceros fabriquen o comercialicen teléfonos inteligentes usando las invenciones patentadas. |
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¿A qué llamamos principio de territorialidad? | La territorialidad de la PI significa que la PI es válida solo en el país donde se conceden o reconocen los derechos. Esto supone que, en principio, los derechos de PI adqui-ridos en virtud de la legislación de un país solo tienen validez en el territorio de ese país, pero no en otro lugar.Las patentes y marcas comerciales de una empresa que se hayan concedido en el país A no gozan de protección en el país B, a menos que ambos países sean partes de un acuerdo bilateral o multilateral que incluya la propiedad intelectual. Como regla general, para que las patentes y marcas estén protegidas en el país B, la empresa debe solicitarlas y obtener que se le conceda protección en el país B. En cambio, no se imponen restricciones geográficas a los derechos de propiedad tradicionales: para los turistas que viajan por todo el mundo, dondequiera que vayan, la ropa, los teléfonos móviles, las cámaras fotográficas y otros bienes que llevan consigo están protegidos por las leyes del país que están visitando. |
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¿La protección de la PI está limitada en el tiempo? | La PI está protegida por un período de tiempo limitado, más allá del cual pierde su protección y pasa a ser de dominio público. Cuando expira un derecho de PI, todo el mundo puede utilizarlo sin restricciones por parte del titular del derecho. Este no es el caso de los derechos de propiedad tradicionales o materiales. En la medida en que exista una propiedad tradicional, siempre estará protegida por la ley. Una herencia familiar, si no se deteriora o vende, siempre se puede transmitir a los descendientes y gozar de protección legal. |
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¿Las infracciones en materia de PI siempre dan lugar a responsabilidad penal? | No siempre. La infracción también puede dar lugar a responsabilidad civil o administrativa. En términos generales, los procedimientos penales se aplican únicamente para penalizar la falsificación de marcas a escala comercial y la piratería de derechos de autor. Las sanciones por responsabilidad penal son las más severas y se deben imponer con gran cautela. A menudo el derecho penal no contempla la infracción en materia de patentes porque el progreso tecnológico es muy grande y también lo es la probabilidad de que se produzca una infracción involuntaria.En cuanto a otros derechos de PI, como los derechos sobre obtenciones vegetales y los derechos exclusivos sobre los esquemas de trazado de circuitos integrados, no existe una obligación internacional de proteger los derechos mediante procedimientos penales. Ahora bien, la infracción de estos dos tipos de PI puede ser constitutiva de otros delitos, y las sanciones penales no serán impuestas por motivos de protección de la PI. |
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特許公報や公開実用新案公報を英文で見ることはできますか。 | はい。できます。画面上部の「English」のリンクを選択すると、日本語公報が機械翻訳され英文で表示されます。 |
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J-PlatPatで日本語に翻訳された外国の文献を見ることはできますか。 | はい、「特許･実用新案番号照会／OPD」又は「特許･実用新案検索」で以下の外国公報がご覧になれます。 -アメリカ(US):公開特許明細書和文抄録 -アメリカ(US):特許明細書和文抄録 -EPO(EP):公開特許明細書和文抄録 -中国(CN):特許公開明細テキスト(翻訳文) -中国(CN):公開特許和文抄録 -中国(CN):特許公告明細テキスト(翻訳文) -中国(CN):特許明細テキスト(翻訳文) -中国(CN):特許明細和文抄録 -中国(CN):登録実用新案テキスト(翻訳文) -韓国(KR):公開特許テキスト(翻訳文) -韓国(KR):登録特許テキスト(翻訳文) -韓国(KR):公開実用新案テキスト(翻訳文) -韓国(KR):登録実用新案テキスト(翻訳文) 照会画面で発行国/機関と種別を選択し、番号欄に文献番号を入力して照会してください。 文献表示画面で「和文抄録」や「和抄・英抄」、「機械翻訳」を選択すると内容が表示されます。 また、「特許・実用新案検索」では、日本語のキーワード等で検索し表示することができます。 なお、中国和文抄録は、機械翻訳システムにより翻訳されたものであり、適切でない翻訳を含んでいる可能性があります。ご了承ください。 |
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特許や実用新案の公報を、１件単位で印刷するには、どのようにすればよいですか。 | 画面上の「文献単位PDF」ボタンを押し、認証操作を行います。送信ボタンを実行し文献単位PDFを表示してください。 PDF表示画面のプリンタマークを押して１件単位で印刷することができます。 |
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大学と企業とが共同研究を行う場合に知的財産の扱いはどうなりますか。 | 大学と企業とが共同研究を行うことによって得る知的財産権の多くは特許権ですので、以下では特許権を例にして説明します。大学と企業とが共同して得た研究成果に基づく特許権は共有とすることが多く、後々争いが生じないように、特許権の帰属先及び持分を両者間の契約で定めておくことが有用です。他に契約では、特許権の取得に必要な費用負担、外国出願に関する事項、共有者の一方が特許権の維持を希望しない場合、第三者への実施許諾などについても定めたりします。また、特許権が共有の場合は、特段の定めがない限り、両者が自由に発明（研究成果）を実施できます。大学は発明を自ら実施しないケースが多いため利益を上げることができません。そのため、契約の際に、大学が企業に対して不実施補償（他のＱ＆Ａをご参照ください）を求めることがよくあります。また、大学にとっては、学会や論文で研究成果を発表することが重要であることから、研究成果の発表によって特許権の取得に支障が生じないように、研究成果の発表方法についても契約で定める必要があります。なお、大学側から学生が共同研究に加わる場合は、学生が大学の職務発明規定の対象外であるため、学生が発明者となった場合の知的財産の取り扱いについて大学に確認する必要があります（学生と個別に譲渡契約を結ぶようにしている大学があります）。また、企業にとっては、学生が競合他社に就職する可能性があることから、大学へ開示する情報などについて注意が必要です。 |
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私は我が国への特許出願を既に行っていますが、同一内容の発明について、複数の外国に出願を行いたいと考えています。どのような方法を利用できるのか教えて下さい。 | 外国に出願するには次の２つの方法があります。（１）第１の方法は、各国に直接出願する方法です。通常、この場合には、パリ条約（平成１４年８月現在の加盟国は１６５ヵ国であり、主要な国はほとんど同条約に加盟しています）という産業財産権の保護に関する国際条約を利用することになり、同条約の加盟国である日本国の国民であれば、出願対象国の国民と同様の保護を受けることができます。また、同条約には、優先権制度と呼ばれる制度が設けられており、我が国に特許出願を行ってから１年以内（優先期間内）に外国出願を行えば、その外国出願は、我が国での出願日を基準にして特許性（新規性、進歩性等）の判断がなされるという利益が得られます。しかしながら、各国に直接出願するには、各国の定める様式等の要件を充足しなければならず、特にその国の公用語での出願を求める国が多いため（ただし、米国やドイツのように公用語以外での出願を認め、後に翻訳文を提出すればよい国もある）、１年の優先期間内に外国出願を完了することが困難な場合も生じます。（２）そこで、第２の方法として、ＰＣＴと略称される特許協力条約（加盟国は約１００ヵ国であり、主要な国はほとんど同条約に加盟しています）に基づく国際出願を行い、複数の国に直接出願したのと同様の効果を得ることができます。ＰＣＴは、上記パリ条約の枠内における特別取極めであり、優先権制度による利益も享受することが可能であることに加え、形式的要件について各加盟国を統一しているため、国際出願として適式と認められれば、正規の出願として国際出願日が認定され、その国際出願日が各指定国での実際の出願日として扱われます。したがって、異なる国ごとに異なる形式的要件に煩わされることを回避することができます。また、国際出願は所定の受理官庁に対してその受理官庁が定める言語で行えばよいことになっており、しかも我が国特許庁は受理官庁として日本語での国際出願を受理しているため、１年の優先期間満了の間際でも翻訳の必要がなく、優先権の利益を享受しつつ国際出願することが容易に行うことができます。さらに、ＰＣＴは、国際調査制度及び国際予備審査制度を設けており、これらの制度を活用することにより、発明の特許性をある程度予測することが可能となります。ただし、国際出願は、各指定国に通用する共通の国際特許を付与するための制度ではないため、一定の期間内（一部の国を除いて優先期間よりは１８ヵ月以上長い期間内）に国際出願を各指定国につなげるための手続を行わなければなりません。したがって、各国に直接出願するか、ＰＣＴを利用するかは、費用的余裕、国数、時間的余裕、出願の目的等を考慮して判断する必要があります。 |
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パリ優先権とはなんですか？ | パリ優先権とは、工業所有権の保護に関するパリ条約の同盟国（第１国）において、特許、実用新案、意匠、商標の出願をした者又はその承継人が、所定の期間（特許及び実用新案：12箇月、意匠及び商標：6箇月）中に、当該第１国の出願に基づいて他の同盟国（第２国）に対して出願を行った場合に、当該第２国において新規性、進歩性の判断などについて、第1国出願時に出願したものとして取り扱われる権利です。出願は、先に特許庁に手続きをした者に権利が与えられる先願主義が採用されていますが、第１国で出願後に他の同盟国で権利取得を図る場合に、翻訳や出願手続きに時間を要し、他者に先を越されてしまうことが考えられます。パリ優先権を主張することで、このような不利益を解消することができます。 |
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Können Minderjährige Erfindungen zum Patent anmelden? | Ja, aber nur mit Zustimmung des gesetzlichen Vertreters (Eltern). Fehlt die Zustimmung, so ist sie nachzureichen; ansonsten muss die Anmeldung zurückgewiesen werden. Das setzt aber voraus, dass das IGE überhaupt merkt, dass der Patentanmelder minderjährig ist, was selten der Fall sein dürfte, da das Alter des Patentanmelders aus den Anmeldeunterlagen nicht ersichtlich ist. Eine Ausnahme von der Zustimmung des gesetzlichen Vertreters ist dort anzunehmen, wo die Erfindung im Rahmen der Ausübung eines eigenen Gewerbes oder Berufes angemeldet wird (Art. 412 Schweizerisches Zivilgesetzbuch). Wird das Patent ohne Zustimmung des gesetzlichen Vertreters einer Person erteilt, die während des ganzen Erteilungsverfahrens oder eines Teils davon minderjährig war, ist das Patent trotzdem nicht nichtig. |
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Wie können Patentrechte durchgesetzt werden? | Der Patentinhaber kann gegen Verletzer zivil- und strafrechtlich vorgehen. Zuständig für die Beurteilung von Verletzungsklagen ist das Bundespatentgericht. Bevor die rechtlichen Möglichkeiten eingesetzt werden, soll der Verletzer auf seine Verletzungshandlung aufmerksam gemacht werden (Verwarnung). Je nachdem kann eine Verwarnung bereits zur Lösung des Problems führen, ohne gerichtlich gegen den Verletzer vorgehen zu müssen. Die nächste Stufe ist die eigentliche Verletzungsklage beim zuständigen Gericht. Es ist aber zu bedenken, dass durch die komplexe Materie die Parteikosten schnell 50000 und mehr Franken betragen können (Expertisen, Gegengutachten). Es ist deshalb nicht unüblich, dass Patentverletzungen im Laufe des Verfahrens aussergerichtlich geregelt werden. Eine Lösungsmöglichkeit ist dabei das Einräumen von Lizenzen. Es empfiehlt sich auf jeden Fall, zwecks Abklärung der Sachlage und Festlegung der einzuschlagenden Taktik, einen Patentanwalt beizuziehen. |
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Welche Länder verlangen die Angabe aller Erfinder im Antrag einer PCT-Anmeldung? | Die Vereinigten Staaten. Angaben über die diesbezüglichen Anforderungen der einzelnen Staaten finden sich im PCT-Leitfaden für Anmelder, Anlage B1 (Staaten) und B2 (zwischenstaatliche Organisationen). |
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Kann eine Erfindung weltweit geschützt werden? Falls ja, welche Wege stehen zur Verfügung? | Eine Erfindung kann über verschiedene Wege weltweit geschützt werden: Nationale Anmeldungen in allen interessierenden Ländern, Anmeldungen über die internationalen oder regionalen Patentsysteme. Es ist aber eine realistische Abschätzung der Kosten/Nutzen zu machen. |
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Welche Formalitäten sind für den Patentschutz erforderlich? | Die Patentanmeldung muss eine Beschreibung der Erfindung, Patentansprüche (das eigentliche Schutzgebiet), eine Zusammenfassung und ggf. Zeichnungen enthalten. Zudem ist eine Anmeldegebühr zu zahlen. Diese Erfordernisse werden im IGE geprüft. Die Neuheit und die erfinderische Tätigkeit werden von Gesetzes wegen nicht geprüft (siehe Recherche zur schweizerischen Patentanmeldung). Ab dem 4. Jahr sind Jahresgebühren zu bezahlen. |
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Wie und wann erfährt ein Erfinder, ob seine Erfindung zum Patent führt? | Von der Anmeldung bis zur Patenterteilung vergehen durchschnittlich drei bis fünf Jahre, wobei die Möglichkeit besteht, eine beschleunigte Prüfung zu beantragen. Ein provisorischer Schutz entsteht aber bereits vom Anmeldedatum an, so dass dem Anmelder kein direkter Nachteil entsteht. Obwohl eine frühe Patenterteilung in der Regel nicht notwendig ist, kann der Anmelder mit einem Antrag auf beschleunigte Sachprüfung das Verfahren verkürzen. |
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Qu'entend-on par “droits de propriété intellectuelle”? | On peut définir les droits de propriété intellectuelle comme étant les droits conférés à l'individu par une création intellectuelle. Ils donnent généralement au créateur un droit exclusif sur l'utilisation de sa création pendant une certaine période.
Les droits de propriété intellectuelle sont traditionnellement divisés en deux grandes catégories:
Le droit d'auteur et les droits connexes, c'est-à-dire les droits conférés aux auteurs d'œuvres littéraires ou artistiques et les droits des artistes interprètes ou exécutants, des producteurs de phonogrammes et des organismes de radiodiffusion. La protection du droit d'auteur et des droits connexes a principalement pour objet d'encourager et de récompenser la création.
La propriété industrielle, qui comprend 1) la protection des signes distinctifs tels que les marques de fabrique ou de commerce et les indications géographiques, et 2) la propriété industrielle surtout protégée pour encourager l'innovation, la conception et la création dans le domaine technique. Entrent dans cette catégorie les inventions (protégées par des brevets), les dessins et modèles industriels et les secrets commerciaux.
Aux fins de l'Accord sur les ADPIC, l'expression “propriété intellectuelle” désigne:
... tous les secteurs de la propriété intellectuelle qui font l'objet des sections 1 à 7 de la partie II de l'Accord (article 1:2): droit d'auteur et droits connexes; marques de fabrique ou de commerce; indications géographiques; dessins et modèles industriels; brevets; schémas de configuration de circuits intégrés; et renseignements non divulgués. |
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Qu’est ce qu’un brevet? | Un brevet est un droit exclusif accordé sur une invention. En d’autres termes, un brevet est un droit exclusif sur un produit ou un procédé qui constitue en général une nouvelle façon de faire quelque chose ou apporte une nouvelle solution technique à un problème. Pour obtenir un brevet, il faut divulguer au public les informations techniques concernant l’invention dans une demande de brevet. Le titulaire du brevet peut autoriser des tiers à exploiter l’invention à des conditions convenues d’un commun accord ou leur concéder une licence à cet effet. Il peut aussi vendre son droit sur l’invention à un tiers, qui devient alors le nouveau titulaire du brevet. À l’expiration du brevet, la protection prend fin et l’invention tombe dans le domaine public, c’est à dire qu’elle peut être librement exploitée par des tiers sans porter atteinte au brevet. |
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Quels sont les droits conférés par un brevet? | Le titulaire d’un brevet a le droit de décider qui peut, et qui ne peut pas, utiliser l’invention brevetée pendant la durée de la protection. En d’autres termes, la protection par brevet signifie que l’invention ne peut être réalisée, utilisée, distribuée ou vendue à des fins commerciales par des tiers sans le consentement du titulaire du brevet. |
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Quelles sortes d’inventions peut on faire protéger? | Des brevets peuvent être délivrés pour des inventions dans tous les domaines de la technique, allant de l’ustensile de cuisine courant au microprocesseur issu de la nanotechnologie. Une invention peut être un produit, tel qu’un composé chimique, ou un procédé permettant d’obtenir un composé chimique spécifique. De nombreux produits contiennent en fait plusieurs inventions. À titre d’exemple, un ordinateur portable peut comporter des centaines d’inventions fonctionnant de concert. |
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Quelle est la durée de la protection par brevet? | La protection est conférée pour une durée limitée, en général 20 ans à compter de la date de dépôt de la demande. |
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La décision concernant la délivrance d’un brevet peut elle être contestée? | La délivrance d’un brevet peut être contestée par l’intermédiaire d’un office des brevets ou par un tribunal. Les tribunaux peuvent déclarer la nullité d’un brevet dont la validité est contestée par un tiers. En outre, nombre d’offices de brevets ont des procédures administratives qui permettent à des tiers de faire opposition à la délivrance d’un brevet (y compris les systèmes appelés “systèmes d’opposition”), par exemple en faisant valoir que l’invention revendiquée n’est pas nouvelle ou qu’elle n’implique aucune activité inventive. Les procédures de contestation des brevets diffèrent d’un pays à l’autre. Consulter en ligne plus d’informations sur les systèmes d’opposition . |
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Что такое изобретение? | В наиболее экономически развитых странах, таких как Франция, Германия и Япония, патентным законодательством охраняются только изобретения. В Парижской конвенции к патентам, полезным моделям и промышленным образцам применяется один и тот же режим; при этом термин «патенты» означает только патенты на изобретения.Патент на изобретение призван обеспечить охрану технического решения, предлагаемого этим изобретением. Техническое решение — это идея реше-ния конкретной технической задачи, с которой люди сталкиваются в своей работе или жизни, путем применения законов природы. Если кратко, это решение, которое позволяет добиться определенного эффекта, используя природные законы и силы. Например, на тело, помещенное в воду, действу-ет выталкивающая сила, равная весу вытесненной им воды. Это явление представляет собой закон природы, который не подлежит патентной охра-не. С другой стороны, конструкция корабля, созданная путем применения этого закона природы, является техническим решением, которое может охраняться патентом.Изобретение, как правило, заключается в нескольких технических призна-ках, включая связи между ними. Например, чтобы изготовить меч, нужно совершить ряд действий. Во-первых, нужно очистить железную руду, из полученной крицы выплавить стальной слиток и расплющить его в болван-ку. Болванку расковать в стальную полосу, а из нее изготовить заготовку клинка. Далее заготовка клинка шлифуется для придания ей нужной формы. Наконец, на лезвие наносится гравировка, клинок полируется и крепится к рукояти — меч готов. Эти действия сами по себе и их порядок, который нельзя менять по своему усмотрению, являются техническими признаками.ynnyk/segamIytteG:отоФ |
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Что такое патентные права? | Вообще говоря, патенты выдаются для охраны изобретений. Ввиду различий в национальных усло-виях в разных странах мира перечень объектов, подлежащих охране патентами, и соответствующие правовые нормы не совпадают. Например, в соответ-ствии с Законом КНР «О патентах», научные открытия, правила и методы интеллектуальной деятельности, диагностики и лечения заболеваний, породы живот-ных, сорта растений и вещества, полученные мето-дами ядерных превращений, не подлежат патентной охране. Тогда как в Японии новые породы животных и сорта растений, а также вещества, полученные методами ядерных превращений, могут охраняться патентами. В США вещества, полученные путем ядер-ных превращений, не подлежат патентной охране, а новые сорта растений подлежат.Патентная система Китая включает патенты на изобретения, полезные модели и промышленные образцы. Патенты на изобретения и полезные модели охраняют технические решения, тогда как промышленные образцы охраняют формы, орнаменты и другие подобные отличительные черты промышленных изделий. |
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Все ли изобретения патентоспособны? | Патентная система предназначена для охраны изобретений, но не все изобретения подлежат патентной охране. Страны могут составлять переч-ни объектов и (или) тематических направлений, изъятых из сферы патентной охраны, с учетом соображений практической осуществимости, общественного порядка и промышленной политики.Следует отметить, что позиции разных стран относительно того, что отвечает общественным интересам, не всегда совпадают и могут со време-нем меняться. Например, устройства для азартных игр могут охраняться патентами во Франции, но не в Китае или Японии.Выдача патента не всегда означает, что охраняе-мое патентом изделие может свободно обращать-ся на рынке. Новые модели реактивных истреби-телей, танков и артиллерии пользуются патентной охраной, но выводить их на рынок запрещено. Лекарство должно быть одобрено для продажи, прежде чем его разрешат использовать для лече-ния болезней, даже если оно охраняется патентом. |
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Что такое полезная модель? | Поскольку полезные модели не так широко распро-странены, как патенты, в Соглашении по ТРИПС положения о полезных моделях отсутствуют, несмо-тря на то, что на них распространяется действие Парижской конвенций. Статистика, хотя и неполная, показывает, что систему полезных моделей поддер-живают около 57 стран, включая Китай, Францию, Германию, Японию и Республику Корея. При этом Германия, Япония и Республика Корея охраняют полезные модели в рамках специализированного законодательства, тогда как Китай в своем Законе «О патентах» устанавливает, что полезные модели являются одной из разновидностей патентов.Полезные модели были созданы для охраны небольших разработок, которые служат опреде-ленным утилитарным целям, но не обладают доста-точным изобретательским уровнем для получения охраны в качестве изобретения. И патенты на изобретения, и полезные модели охраняют техни-ческие решения, однако патенты на изобретения охраняют как изделия, так и методы изготовления изделий, тогда как полезные модели охраняют только изделия и то лишь в некоторых странах.Предположим, все чашки делают без ручек, поэто-му пить из них не всегда удобно. Кто-то изобретает чашку с ручкой, и этот новый вид чашек, очевид-но, является новаторским решением. Однако с большой вероятностью степень новизны будет недостаточной для причисления его к изобрете-ниям. В таком случае он может охраняться как полезная модель. |
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Что такое промышлен-ный образец? | Промышленные образцы, которые часто назы-вают просто дизайнами, охраняются по всему миру с помощью различных правовых средств. Промышленные образцы — это права ИС, охра-няющие внешний вид изделия; другими словами, они охраняют его форму, а не функциональность, последняя охраняется патентами или полезными моделями. Промышленный образец может заклю-чаться в форме, орнаменте и (или) сочетании цветов изделия и включать в себя один элемент либо два или три одновременно. В одних странах, например в Японии, действует специальное зако-нодательство об охране промышленных образцов; в других странах, например в Китае, промыш-ленные образцы относятся к патентоспособным решениям; в третьих странах промышленные образцы могут охраняться авторским правом в случае соответствия определенным критериям. Даже в тех странах, где промышленные образ-цы охраняются патентами, приняты различные варианты и практики. Например, в Китае охрана изобретений, полезных моделей и промышленных образцов регламентируется общим Законом «О патентах», тогда как в Италии и Уругвае охрана полезных моделей и промышленных образцов регулируется одним нормативным актом, а изобре-тения рассматриваются отдельно.Если речь идет о внешнем виде изделия, промыш-ленный образец должен быть применен к изделию. Определенные произведения искусства, калли-графические и фотографические произведения не могут охраняться в качестве промышленных образцов, но в некоторых случаях они вместо этого охраняются авторским правом. |
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Являются ли патенты единственным средством охраны изобретений? | Обладатель прав на техническую разработку может добиваться охраны либо в рамках системы коммерческой тайны (нераскрытой информации), либо в рамках патентной системы. В соответ-ствии с патентным законодательством, правоо-бладатели обязаны раскрывать свои разработки в обмен на охрану, таким образом делая вклад в жизнь общества, при этом изобретение становится общественным достоянием по истечении срока действия патента. Владельцы коммерческих тайн, с другой стороны, сохраняют свои технические решения в тайне, поэтому получают охрану в меньшем объеме, чем владельцы патентов. |
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