Source: http://www.inhouselawyer.co.uk/wgd_question/6886/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 04:58:53+00:00

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What different types of intellectual property rights exist in this jurisdiction to protect?
According to the Bulgarian patents and registration of utility models act (PRUMA), the patentable inventions and the utility models and Certificates for supplementary protection of products and methods are subject to protection.
According to the Bulgarian trademarks and geographic names act (TGNA), the trademarks and geographic names are subject to protection.
Under Art.3(1) of the Bulgarian copyright and related rights act (CRRA), prom. SG.56/29 Jun 1993, suppl. SG.14/20 Feb 2015, any literary, artistic and scientific work resulting from creative endeavour and expressed by any mode and in any tangible form shall be the subject matter of copyright.
In addition, the performers in their performances; the producers of phonograms in their phonograms, the producers of the initial record of a film or other audio-visual work in the original and the copies obtained as a result of this record as well as the radio and television organizations in their programs shall have rights, related to the copyright, including the rights of the maker of a database.
According to Art.83 (6) of the CRRA, the Names of Artistic Groups are also subject to protection.
According to Art.1 of the Bulgarian industrial design act (IDA), the industrial design is also subject to protection.
According to the Bulgarian protection of new plant varieties and animal breeds act, the new plant varieties and animal breeds are subject to protection.
According to the Bulgarian topology of the integrated circuits act, the topology of the integrated circuits is subject of protection.
The substantive law on intellectual property rights is codified under Book XI of the Belgian Code of Economic Law (CEL). Apart from applicable European rules or international conventions, this section exhaustively covers the different types of intellectual property rights available in the Belgian legal system.
Inventions can be protected by patents, as well as supplementary protection certificates for pharmaceutical inventions.
To be granted a patent, an invention (either a product or a process), which is presented for registration, must fulfil the following basic requirements: being new, involving an inventive step and being susceptible of industrial application (Art. XI.3 CEL). The subject matter may not be excluded from patentability (Art. XI.4 and XI.5 CEL) and the application must disclose the invention in a sufficiently clear and comprehensive manner (Art. XI.18 CEL).
Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) are available for medicinal products pursuant to EU Regulation 469/2009/EC and can be applied for with the Belgian Office for Intellectual Property (OPRI) (Art. XI.92 CEL). The certificate confers the same rights and protection as by the basic patent for the medicinal product covered by the market authorization, for a maximum of 5 years.
One may choose not to disclose an invention or know-how, opting for secrecy. Know-how and confidential information are not protected as intellectual property under Belgian law. Confidentiality agreements and the Law on unfair commercial practices protect confidential information and know-how from third parties. Belgian employment law and criminal law also protect the confidential information of employers from abuse and disclosure by employees. In addition, criminal sanctions apply to the disclosure of inventions and trade secrets contrary to the interests of the defence of the territory or the security of the State. The new EU Directive 2016/943 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information must be implemented by 9 June 2018 and will institute a new legal framework for the protection against the unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure of trade secrets.
Signs capable of graphic representation which are used to distinguish the goods or services of one undertaking from those of another and which are not devoid of any distinctive character can be protected by both EU and Benelux trademarks (Art. 2.1 BCIP). The Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (trademarks and designs) (BCIP) has created a common legal and protective framework for trademarks and designs in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Art. XI.163 CEL therefore provides that the protection of those intellectual property rights is regulated in accordance with the BCIP. The BCIP established the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (trademarks and designs) (BOIP) and is subject to the interpretation of the Benelux Court of Justice.
Collective marks can be obtained for signs used to distinguish one or more common characteristics of goods or services originating from different companies using the trademark under the control of the holder, which may not use the mark for its own goods or services (Art. 2.34 BCIP).
Even when no trademark registration exists, an entity may prevent others from using a particular sign in relation to goods or services which may, for example, lead to consumer confusion by presenting a claim for unfair competition or unfair commercial practices (Art. VI.104 CEL).
Designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional speciality guarantees are governed and protected in Belgium by article VI.124 CEL, international treaties (such as the 1883 Paris Convention on Intellectual Property, the 1891 Madrid Agreement on Indications of Source, the 1951 Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and the 1994 TRIPS Agreement) and EU regulations 1151/2012/EU and 664/2014/EU.
All works which are original, meaning that they are the product of an intellectual activity and personal expression of the author, are protected by copyright from the moment they are materialised in a tangible form, without the need to fulfil any formalities. The originality threshold is generally low. Distinct from copyright, neighbouring rights protect the efforts and performances of performers, producers of phonograms and films, and broadcasters (Art. XI.203-219 CEL).
Database rights protect collections of works, data or other independent elements, which are systematically or methodically arranged, and which are individually accessible by electronic or other means (Art. I.13. 6° CEL). Database rights are a sui generis right of the producer of the database for which the acquisition, verification or presentation of its contents indicate that there has been qualitatively and/or quantitatively a substantial investment (Art. XI.306 CEL). The author of a database also benefits from copyright protection, provided that the database is original and is the author’s own intellectual creation (Art. XI.186 CEL).
Just like trademarks, design rights are governed by the BCIP. Designs cover the appearance of whole or part of any industrial or handicraft item and can be protected if they are new and have individual character (Art. 3.1 BCIP). Designs can also be protected as community designs for the territory of the EU on the basis of regulation 6/2002/EC. Community designs exist both in registered and unregistered form, the latter benefiting protection from the moment of commercialisation, but with a shorter duration and smaller scope.
The topographies of semiconductors are protected provided that they are the product of their creator’s own intellectual effort and are not commonplace in the semiconductor industry (Art. XI.320 CEL). Protection comes into existence from the first moment the topography is fixed or encoded in any way (Art. XI.327 CEL).
Varieties of all botanical genera and species can be the subject of plant variety rights (Art. XI.104 CEL). To be eligible for protection, the variety must be distinct, uniform, stable and new (Art. XI.105 CEL). New plant varieties can also be protected throughout the EU on the basis of a Community plant variety right.
Confidential information and know-how (See point a) above).
Copyright, registered design rights, layout-designs (topographies) of integrated circuits, plant varieties, trade secrets (rights in confidential information and/or know-how).
Under French law, inventions are protected by patents, supplementary protection certificates and utility certificates (art L.611-1 and L.611-2 of the French Intellectual Property Code “IPC”).
Patent rights are granted for inventions of either products or processes in any fields of technology provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are susceptible of industrial application. In addition, the development at stake should not be excluded from patentable subject matter (IPC art. L.611-10).
Inventions and relating know-how can also be protected as confidential information. The holder must justify that the know-how (i.) is secret, (ii.) is commercially valuable, and (iii.) has been subject to reasonable measures to protect its confidentiality.
Unauthorized disclosure by third party can be sanctioned by tort law, civil law (breach of a NDA or confidentiality clause) or criminal law (violation of a manufacturing secret).
It should be further noted that the EU directive, to be implemented in French law by June 2018, will provide a coherent legal framework, with a high level of protection.
Any sign capable of distinguishing the goods of one undertaking from those of another can be protected by a trademark (IPC art. L.711-1 and L.713-5).
Unfair competition or passing off can sanction the unauthorized use by a third party of an unregistered brand or any other distinctive element identifying an undertaking.
Collective trademarks protect signs which may be used by any person complying with a set of rules set out by the holder of the registration (IPC art. L.715-1).
Geographical indications protect the denomination of a region and designate products originating from it, their quality or characteristics being attributable to natural and human factors specific to the said location (IPC art. L.721-2).
Copyright protects original works of the mind, regardless of their kind, form of expression, merit or purpose, from the mere act of creation (ICP art. L.111-1 and L.112-1).
audiovisual communication companies (IPC art. L.216-1).
Databases are defined as collections of works and data arranged in a methodical way and individually accessible. They can be protected either through copyright or through a sui generis right. Qualification for sui generis protection requires substantial investments in the constitution, verification or presentation of the database (IPC art. L.341-1).
Design rights protect the appearance of the whole or part of an industrial or handcraft product provided that it is new and has individual character (IPC art. L.511-1 and L.511-2).
Functional forms and designs contrary to public policy or morality are excluded from registration.
In France, design can be protected through national or European registration, it being specified that European law also provides with unregistered design rights.
Semiconductor rights protect topographies reflecting an intellectual effort and uncommon (IPC art. L.622-1).
Plant variety right protect new, distinct, stable and sufficiently uniform plant breeding (ICP art.L623-1).
Know-how is also protected via unfair competition prohibition and it does not need any registration to be effective.
R: As regards Brands, the Portuguese Industrial Property Code, grants protection to: i) trademarks; ii) logos; iii) designations of origin; iv) geographical indications v) company/commercial names.
As a member-state of the UE, the UE trademarks are also protected in Portugal.
It is also possible to designate Portugal as regards the International Trademark Registration system (Madrid Agreement).
R: Portuguese jurisdiction also protects i) topographies of semiconductor products ii) new plant varieties iii) design rights.
Portuguese jurisdiction also protects copyright (authorial right). Database may be protected via copyright. Copyright protection does not need registration, but it is possible (and recommended).
As a member-state of the UE, the UE designs are also protected in Portugal.
Patents: In India, inventions can only be protected by Patents, which are governed by the Indian Patent Act, 1970.
Rights in confidential information and trade secrets (know-how): There is no separate legislation for the protection of confidential information and trade secrets in India, and the same is protected and governed under the contract law.
Inventions are primarily protected via patents and, where applicable, supplementary protection certificates. Protection of inventions may also be attained via registration of utility models, as well as via (unregistered) rights in confidential information, trade secrets and know-how. Unfair competition law may also serve to protect inventions, in addition to or regardless of, specific rights registration.
Brands are primarily protected via trade mark registration (national, EU, international) and unfair competition law (unregistered signs and/or designs).
(c)	Other creations, technology and proprietary interests (e.g. copyright, design rights, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties, database rights, rights in confidential information and/or know-how).
Creative works are protected by copyright and/or registered design rights. Databases can be protected either by copyright or by the sui-generis proprietary database right.
There is also specific legislation protecting semiconductor topography rights and plant varieties. However, in the absence of the implementing Decree prescribed by the Greek plant varieties law, no national plant varieties grants are available.
Unfair competition law may also apply to protect the above IP rights.
The Patent Act, which covers exclusive rights to inventions based on technical ideas using natural laws; and The Utility Model Act, which covers exclusive rights to devices based on technical ideas using natural laws in connection with a device’s shape, structure, or a combination thereof.
The scope of the subject matter protected by the Utility Model Act is narrower than that protected by the Patent Act, and the level of technical complexity required by the Utility Model Act is lower than that required by the Patent Act.
Confidential information, which is defined as technical or business information useful for commercial activities, such as manufacturing or marketing methods, that is kept secret and is not publicly known, can be protected under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act as trade secrets.
Any mark that consists of a character, figure, sign, three-dimensional shape, colour, or any combination thereof, or a sound, that is used in connection with goods or services for commercial purposes can be registered and protected under the Trademark Act.
If unregistered marks are widely-recognised or well-known, they can be protected under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and/or the Civil Code.
Under the Copyright Act, copyright arises automatically upon creation of a work in which thoughts or sentiments are expressed in a creative way and which falls in the literary, academic, artistic or musical domain.
Under the Design Act, a “design” means the shape, pattern, colour, or combination thereof of an article which has an aesthetic sense. A graphic image that is provided for use in the operation of an article (limited to operations carried out in order to enable the article to perform its functions) and is displayed on the article itself or another article that is used with the article in an integrated manner, can also be protected by the Design Act.
Unregistered designs can be protected under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and/or the Copyright Act.
Invention patents, utility model patents, rights in confidential information and know-how as trade secrets.
Trademarks and certain brand related actions pursuant to the Anti-Unfair Competition Act.
(c) Other creations, technology and proprietary interests (e.g. copyright, design patents, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties, database rights, rights in confidential information and/or know-how).
Copyright, design patents, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties , and rights in confidential information and know-how as trade secrets.
Rights identified below as "EU" or "Community" rights have geographical scope covering the EU. The other rights and causes of action are confined in geographical scope to the UK.
Patents are available for inventions that are new (novel), involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application. Patents grant the inventor a period of exclusivity in return for the inventor disclosing the invention. There is a requirement that the invention be disclosed sufficiently clearly and completely for this to occur.
Some categories of development, for instance discoveries, business methods and computer programs, are not considered to be inventions and are not patentable unless they offer a technical contribution. There are also categories of invention which are excluded from patentability, for example if the invention is contrary to public policy or morality or falls within another exclusion.
In basic terms, there are two systems pursuant to which a patent may be granted covering the UK: the national system and the European Patent Convention (EPC) system. Either system may be preceded by, or may act as the receiving office for, an application under the international system through the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). Whichever system is employed, the patent that is granted is national in scope; European patents are, at present, filed as a single European application, but granted by the European Patent Office as a bundle of national designations.
As it can take some years after the patent has been filed in order to obtain regulatory approval for a pharmaceutical or plant protection product, supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) are available to extend the term of patent protection by up to five years in qualifying circumstances.
Confidential information is broadly defined as information that has the necessary quality of confidence and is subject to an obligation of confidence. In the UK, the tort of breach of confidence may assist in protecting against its unauthorised use.
Confidential information may include know-how and trade secrets. Its status may be protected by an obligation of confidentiality arising under the common law or because of specific contractual terms (for example in employment contracts and non-disclosure agreements).
A mark or sign may be registered as a UK trade mark or a European Union trade mark if it is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of another, and of being represented graphically on the register. It must also not be devoid of distinctive character or exclusively indicate the kind, quality, quantity or other characteristics of the goods or services. A mark which does not immediately appear to have distinctive character can acquire distinctiveness through use.
Registered trade marks can include a variety of forms such as words, domain names, colours and the shape of goods or packaging. There can also be non-traditional trade marks such as scents and sounds, but in practice, registration of non-traditional marks is difficult to obtain.
The tort of passing off can protect goodwill attached to goods or services in the UK, where there is a misrepresentation leading or likely to lead the public to believe the goods or services are those of the Claimant or some other authorised link, and where the Claimant suffers damage as a result. The tort can be used as a way of protecting unregistered trade marks, names, logos or get-up from being mis-used.
Designs that are new and have individual character can be registered as UK or "Community" (EU) designs. A design registration may be used to protect the appearance of the whole, or part, of a product, and may be a three-dimensional or two-dimensional design. It is not possible to register features of an article that perform a technical function or that interconnect with another part so as to perform a function, designs that are contrary to public policy or computer programs.
UK unregistered design right (UDR) protects any aspect of the shape and configuration of the whole or part of an article (whether external or internal) that is original, recorded in a design document or the subject of an article made to the design, and created by a qualifying person. UDR does not subsist in a method or principle of construction, the shape of an article that "must fit" another, or the appearance of an article that "must match" another. UDR does not protect two-dimensional designs such as ornamentation or surface decoration (which may be protected by copyright).
EU "Community" unregistered design right has a slightly broader scope of protection than UDR and protects both three-dimensional and two-dimensional designs.
Both UDR and Community unregistered design right arise automatically in qualifying circumstances. Infringement depends upon copying of the protected work (assessed qualitatively).
Copyright may subsist in original works in any of the protected categories: literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, sound recordings, films, broadcasts and typographical arrangements of published editions, provided the work qualifies by its author’s nationality or domicile or by the place of first publication of the work. Protection arises automatically when works are recorded in writing or some other form. Infringement depends upon copying the whole, or a substantial part, of the protected work (assessed qualitatively).
Databases can be protected in two ways: by copyright and by the standalone database right. The standalone database right requires a substantial investment in obtaining, verifying or presenting the contents of a database.
Plant variety rights are available, by registration, for new, distinct, uniform and stable plant varieties, and entitle the right owner to prevent others from reproducing or conditioning for propagation the relevant plant variety, or offering for sale, selling, exporting, importing or stocking for those purposes. Protection is available for the UK or throughout the EU.
Semiconductor topography rights protect topographies in a pattern fixed on, or intended to be fixed on, a layer of a semiconductor product or a material used to make that semiconductor, or an arrangement of patterns fixed on the layers of a semiconductor. The protection arises automatically. Most original, integrated circuits are protected, provided the circuit has at least two layers, and one is made of a semiconducting material, with a pattern fixed to it for the purpose of performing an electronic function.
Inventions are protected in terms of the Patents Act and the common law principles pertaining to trade secrets. In order for information to qualify for protection as a trade secret, the information must be secret, in the sense that it is not generally known to or readily accessible to third parties, it must have commercial value, and have been subject to reasonable steps to maintain its secrecy.
Trade Marks, cause of action on the basis of passing off and unlawful competition, certification trade marks, collective trade marks.
The South African intellectual property framework includes protection for design rights, which rights are extended to integrated circuit topographies. South African law also provides for protection of certain forms of Indigenous Knowledge relating to biological resources in relation to patents, and a framework is currently being developed to extend this protection to other forms of intellectual property rights and other forms of Indigenous Knowledge.
Traditional Knowledge/Indigenous knowledge – The South African government has attempted to provide protection for traditional or indigenous knowledge through the introduction of The Intellectual Property Amendment Laws Act 28 of 2013. However, the Act has not yet come into force as the regulations have not been finalised.
The Protection, Promotion, development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Bill, 2016 – The South African Department of Science and Technology has advised that the aim of this Bill is to protect, promote, develop and manage indigenous knowledge. It has been tabled before the South African parliament but has not been passed into law as yet.
Inventions: Patents and utility certificates (where the invention lacks a sufficient degree of innovative activity). However, utility certificates do not grant exclusive rights. The UAE is a member of the PCT system, and so the UAE can be designated in PCT filings. Patent protection can also be obtained through GCC Patents.
Other creations: Copyrights, neighbouring rights granted to performers, producers of phonograms and broadcasting organizations, industrial design rights, plant varieties and plant breeders rights.
1) Utility patents for new and useful aspects of a process, a machine, a manufacture, and a composition of matter; 2) design patents for the ornamental and non-functional aspects of a design; and 3) plant patents for asexually reproducible plants.
Patent rights are distinct from rights in confidential information and/or know-how which are governed by trade secret laws.
Rights in trademarks, including service marks and trade dress (non-functional aspects of a product or its packaging) are provided for under U.S. common law and in the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. Chapter 22. Trademark rights arise in the U.S. based upon actual use of the mark in interstate or international commerce, not registration.
Subchapter III of the Lanham Act, included in §§ 1111-1127, sets forth the causes of action and remedies for trademark infringement as well as importation of infringing goods, false designations of origin, false descriptions and dilution of trademarks.
Subchapter IV of the Lanham Act, included in §§ 1141-1141n, sets forth the U.S. requirements for applications under the Madrid Protocol, which provides for international registration of trademarks.
Copyrights protect original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium. The Copyright Act of 1976, title 17 of the United States Code.
Databases that are an original work of authorship are generally protectable as compilations under the Copyright Act. The underlying data is not protectable merely because the collection of data within the database is protectable.
Semiconductor topography rights in the U.S. are governed by the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act (SCPA). Such rights are acquired by filing with the U.S. Copyright Office an application for a “mask work” registration under the SCPA.
Trade secrets are protectable. A trade secret, generally, may be all forms and types of financial, business, scientific, technical, economic, or engineering information, including patterns, plans, compilations, program devices, formulas, designs, prototypes, methods, techniques, processes, procedures, programs, or codes, whether tangible or intangible, and whether or how stored, compiled, or memorialized physically, electronically, graphically, photographically, or in writing, that is not generally known, and that derives independent economic value for its owner.
The intellectual property rights available to protect inventions include patents and utility models.
Patentable inventions involve any technical solution of a problem in any field of human activity which is new, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable.
A utility model is similar to a patent in that the technical solution must be new and industrially applicable, but need not involve an inventive step.
The intellectual property rights available to protect brands include trademarks, service marks and geographical indications.
A trademark is any visible sign capable of distinguishing goods while a service mark is any such mark capable of distinguishing services.
Brands, once registered as trademarks, may give rise to a cause of action for trademark infringement. Goodwill over brands, whether registered as a trademark or not, may be protected by filing a case for unfair competition.
Internationally well-known marks, whether registered as trademarks in the Philippines or not, are also entitled to protection.
c) Other creations, technology and proprietary interests (e.g. copyright, design rights, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties, database rights, rights in confidential information and/or know-how).
Other intellectual property rights include copyright, industrial design, and layout-designs of integrated circuits.
A copyright is the protection given to a creator of original works and derivative works. Original works include literary and artistic works. Derivative works include dramatizations, translations, adaptations, abridgments, arrangements, other alterations of literary or artistic works, collections of literary, scholarly or artistic works, and compilations of data and other materials which are original by reason of their selection or content arrangement.
An industrial design is any composition of lines or colors or any three-dimensional form, such that it gives a special appearance to and can serve as a pattern for an industrial product or handicraft.
A layout design of an integrated circuit is the three-dimensional disposition of the elements, at least one of which is an active element, and of some or all of the interconnections of an integrated circuit, or such three-dimensional disposition prepared for an integrated circuit intended for manufacture. An integrated circuit is a product in its final or intermediate form in which at least one of its elements is an active element, and some or all of the interconnections are integrally formed in and/or on a piece of material, and which is intended to perform an electronic function.
Undisclosed information or trade secrets may be protected under different Philippine laws and through confidentiality agreements between parties.
Confidential information and confidential know-how: protection of trade and company secrets is provided through unfair competition law.
Protection of confidential know-how and business information (trade secrets).
Patents and supplementary protection certificates (for active ingredients of patented and authorised pharmaceutical products or pesticides).
No exclusive intellectual property rights as such are conferred on trade secrets or other confidential information and know-how. In the event of an unauthorised disclosure or exploitation of such information, contractual provisions, unfair competition law and/or criminal law may provide protection.
Trade marks (including guarantee marks and collective marks), PGI (Protected Geographical Indications), PAO (Protected Applications of Origin) and domain names (.ch and .swiss being the specific top level domains for Switzerland).
Copyright, design, topography rights and plant varieties.
Inventions and utility models are protected by patents. In addition, the law provides protection of secret patents for inventions and utility models. Supplementary protection certificates are not provided by the law per se, but duration of patents for inventions that covers substances the use of which requires the State authorization (e.g. medicines and agrochemicals) may be extended in addition for the term up to 5 years.
Confidential information and know-how may receive legal protection in Ukraine provided that confidentiality requirement is duly observed and subject to requirements prescribed by the laws.
Intellectual property rights to trademark are confirmed by the trademark certificate.
Unfair competition laws provide the possibility to initiate proceedings on the ground of passing off as well as possibility to take legal actions to prevent unfair competition.
As to certification marks, Ukrainian legislation provides for requirement to conduct certification of the goods and certain services, subject to requirements of the relevant legislation (e.g., the foreign goods require certification for their import).
Designations of origin and geographical indications are subject to state registration confirmed by the certificate. In Ukraine, there is no registry of the traditional specialty guarantees, however, the registration and protection of designations of origin provides legal protection to agricultural products of foodstuff of a traditional composition, or produced according to a traditional production method, that is linked to certain geographical area.
Ukrainian legislation provides protection to trade names. Legal protection is being granted to a trade name from the date of its first use in Ukraine.
Copyright subsists in original works of authorship fixed in material form. Copyright protection covers both published and unpublished works, both completed or incomplete, irrespective of their purpose, genre, volume. Copyright registration is voluntary. Copyright registration is confirmed by copyright certificate.
Databases are protected as copyrighted works.
Related rights exist in performance of literary, dramatical, musical, choreography, folklore and other works, phonograms, videograms, programs of broadcast organizations to protect the rights of the performers or works, phonogram and videogram producers, broadcasting companies and their respective successors.
Industrial designs are protected by patents.
Exclusive rights to semiconductor topographies are confirmed by certificates.
Non-proprietary intellectual property rights to plant variety are confirmed by the certificate of authorship to a plant variety.
Proprietary intellectual property rights to plant variety are certified by patent.
Certificate of state registration of variety gives its owner the exclusive proprietary right of dispersal of variety.
Confidential information and know-how are protected based on their confidentiality.
Under Turkish Law, inventions are protected through patent right and utility model.
Patent rights and utility models are granted for inventions in all fields of technology given that they are new, include an inventive step and are applicable to industry. Also, inventions that are not patentable are listed under article 82 of the Industrial Property Law numbered 6769 (“IPL”).
Any sign that allows for products or services of an enterprise to be distinguished from those of another enterprise and that is clearly and certainly indicative of the subject of protection are protected under trademarks. Also, brands may be protected through the right to bring an actio negatoria and the right to request prevention of several actions.
Geographical indication protects products identified with a specific region, territory or country of its origin as per a distinct qualification, reputation or other specification. Products manufactured in a traditional way are protected under traditional product names.
Design right protects the appearance of an industrial or handcraft product, including any parts thereof and compound products, excluding computer programs, provided that the appearance is new and distinguishable.
Inventions can be protected by patent rights in accordance with the Swedish Patents Act (SFS 1967:837) (the ‘Patent Act’) (supplemented by the Patent Decree (SFS 1967:838)). In accordance herewith, any person who has made an invention which may have industrial application, or his or her successor in interest, may, following an application therefor, be granted a patent for the invention in Sweden and thereby acquire an exclusive right to exploit the patent in his or her profession. If exclusively a scientific discovery, artistic creation, business method or suchlike cannot be deemed an invention.
Further, a patent may only be granted for an invention which is new in relation to what was known prior to the date of the patent application and shall differ significantly therefrom. The scope of the patent protection is determined based on the claims put forward in the application. Patent protection is subject to annual fees to be submitted to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (the ‘PRO’).
the product has not already been the subject of a SPC.
The extension of the term can be granted for a period of five years. Furthermore, an SPC can be extended by another six months if the product is a medicinal product and the patent owner has tested the product’s suitability for children.
The Right to the Inventions of Employees Act (SFS 1949:345) (the Employees’ Invention Act’) applies to patentable inventions by employees in public and private employment (with a few exceptions) and stipulates that employees shall be entitled to the same rights to their inventions as other inventors unless otherwise is provided by the act.
The details of employees’ right to their inventions are often regulated in employment agreements. The employees’ right to reasonable compensation should the employer succeed an employee in relation to an invention is however obligatory.
Information concerning a business or operational circumstances of a business which the business proprietor keeps secret due to the risk of damage should the information be disclosed (hereinafter ‘Trade Secrets’) are not intellectual property in a strict legal, Swedish sense but are closely related thereto and protected under the Trade Secrets Act (SFS 1990:409) (the ‘Trade Secrets Act’). Under the Trade Secrets Act, unlawful disposal of, or gaining of access to, a Trade Secret constitutes prohibited conducts such as industrial espionage and unlawful dealing in trade secrets. Regarding employees, the prohibit of unlawful dealing with Trade Secrets is in general only enforceable during the term of the employment. Where the action took place after the termination of employment, the employee shall be liable for damages only where exceptional reasons exist. Unlawful disclosure under the Trade Secrets Act may lead to compensational liability or in exceptional situations to imprisonment not to exceed six years.
The Trademark Act (SFS 2010:1877) (the ‘Trademark Act’) supplemented by the Trademark Regulation (SFS 2011:594) regulates the protection of trademarks and other marks for goods or services which are provided in trade and to which anyone can acquire an exclusive right, and of special designations for agricultural products and foodstuffs which are protected in the European Union.
The Trademark Act also covers exclusive rights to members’ use of collective trademarks which can be acquired by companies and suchlike, as well as the right of authorities, companies, associations etc. Furthermore, the Trademark Act covers rights such as guarantee marks, certification marks. The Act also contains provisions on special indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs which are protected within the European Union. A collective trademark refers to a trademark used by a number of different legal bodies who are members in an association. A guarantee or certification mark which can be acquired by companies and authorities verifies for example that a certain product meets requirements and provisions. Special indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs refer to marks which verify how or where a product has been manufactured.
In accordance with Section 4 of the Trademark Act, a trademark may consist of ‘all symbols capable of being represented graphically, particularly words, including personal names, as well as devices, letters, numerals, and the design or ornamental aspects of a product or its packaging, provided that such symbols have distinctive character’ (‘Trademark’). In order to have ‘distinctive character’, the trademark must be able to differentiate goods or services which are provided by one trader from those which are provided by another trader. In the determination hereof, consideration may be taken of the fact that it may acquire such character through use.
a symbol identical or similar to a mark which is known within Sweden by a significant portion of the relevant public, where the use pertains to goods or services and involves improper exploitation of or, without good cause damages, the distinctive character or reputation of the mark.
Such prohibited use includes for example affixing the symbol to goods or their packaging, using the symbol in commercial activities, importing or exporting goods under the symbol or offering goods or services for sale under such symbol.
Protection through establishment demands a widespread recognition (known to a significant portion of those to whom it is addressed, the so called ‘relevant public’) as a designation for the goods or services provided under such mark. It is a form of protection that can be just as strong as a registered protection but comes with a degree of uncertainty.
Proprietors of right in Trademarks may freely sell or license the trademark.
a symbol identical, or similar, to a Trade Name of the proprietor which is known to a significant portion of the relevant public, if the use thereof involves improper exploitation of or, without good cause damages, the distinctive character or reputation of the trade name.
However, in accordance with Section 3 of the Trade Name Act an exclusive right to a registered Trade Name does not prohibit the use of a symbol of the kind referred to above, within that symbols area of exclusivity by other parties, when it is demonstrable that such use cannot cause damage to the registered Trade Name.
Creative works, including but not limited to music, lyrics, film, theatre, computer software, architecture and applied art, of different intellectual achievements may be protected by means of copyright under the Act on Copyright in Literary and Artistic Works (SFS 1960:729) (the ‘Copyright Act’), supplemented by the Copyright Regulation (SFS 1993:1212) and the International Copyright Regulation (SFS 1994:193). Copyright arises automatically and does not require registration. In order for an expression to be considered, and thus protected as, a work in a legal sense, it must be sufficiently original and independent. Therefore, expressions which are entirely mechanically created are not considered works under the Copyright Act as they do not meet the level of originality required.
Furthermore, the Copyright Act includes neighbouring rights to copyright. These are the rights of performing artists, producers of recordings of sound and images, sound radio and television organisations, producers of catalogues and photographers. But for a few exceptions, the holders of the rights stated in this paragraph are entitled to the same rights as the holders of copyrights.
distribution to the public (offering copies of the work for sale, lent etc.).
Copyright also have moral rights. The moral rights imply that the author must be mentioned when someone uses the work and others may not amend the work in a derogatory manner or use the work in an offensive context.
A design is under Section 1 of the Design Protection Act (SFS 1970:485) (the ‘Design Protection Act’) defined as the appearance of the whole or a part of a product resulting from the characteristics of the product details or of the details of the products ornamentation (a ‘Design’). Appearance details which are dictated solely by the technical function of the product or which must necessarily be reproduced in their exact form and dimensions in order to permit the product in question to be mechanically connected to or placed in, around or against another product so that both products can perform their functions are not included herein.
Any person who has created a Design (the ‘Designer’) or the Designer’s successor, may obtain an exclusive right to the Design in accordance with Section 1 a of the Design Protection Act, provided that the Design is considered to be new and having an individual character. These requirements are considered met only if no identical Design has been made available to the public before the date of the filing of the application for registration (‘Application Date’) and if the overall impression it produces differs from the overall impression given by any other design which has been made available to the public before the Application Date. Exclusive right to a Design is in general acquired through registration, but may also be done by means of establishment, in accordance with the Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2001 of 12 December 20011 on Community designs.
Under Section 7 of the Design Protection Act, exclusive right means that no third party may use the design without consent by the holder of the exclusive right, with a few exceptions, applicable for example when a design is done for non-commercial purposes.
iii. make the typography available to the public by offering reproductions of the topography for sale, retail, lending or other public distribution.
Limitations on the protection apply for reproductions of the typography when made solely for teaching or analysing purposes, as well as for reproductions of a topography which have been distributed to the public within the European Economic Area (or mentioned in the regulation referred to in the above) by or with the consent of rights proprietor. The rights may also be limited with regards to the Freedom of Press Act (SFS 1949:105) in the event a reproduction of a topography constitutes part of a public document.
Gene technological procedures related to a plant or a plant variety may be protected in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Plant Variety Rights (SFS 1997:306) (the ‘Plant Variety Act’) (supplemented by the Protection of Plant Variety Rights Regulation (SFS 1997:383)). Unlike patent protection which aims to protect technical applications not limited to one or several varieties specifically, plant variety rights serves to protect certain varieties. Consequently, a genetically modified plant may be subject to both patent rights and plant variety rights.
The Marketing Practices Act (SFS 2008:486) (the ‘Marketing Act’) aims at prohibiting unfair marketing practice. The Marketing Act applies when a business proprietor within its business markets or requests a product and the marketing or request is directed to Swedish consumers. Hence, the Marketing Act is not primarily protecting intellectual property as such. However it serves a purpose of safeguarding the protection guaranteed under other intellectual property legislation, e.g. by under Section 10 prohibiting among other things marketing practice that includes copies of other proprietors’ work and therefor is misleading, regardless of whether such copying is considered unlawful infringement under other legislation or not. In this way, the Marketing Act supports intellectual property rights holders’ interests. Misleading marketing also includes marketing which by exploitation of someone’s trademark or built up goodwill arouses associations to the holders’ right of that goodwill. Further, Section 10 of the Marketing Act aims at protecting geographical indications from unlawful use by means of misleading marketing. Product design is protected under Section 13 which prohibits plagiarising of original products which have a distinctive character.
Patent registration before the Spanish Patent and Trade Mark Office (SPTO) provides patentee protection to an invention for 20 years, should this invention is novel and meets the inventive step and industrial application. For a patent to be granted, the SPTO undertakes an examination on the merits of the invention.
Literary or artistic works, any aesthetic creation as well as scientific works.
Schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games, or doing business and computer programs.
Methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy.
Diagnostic methods practiced on the human or animal body.
Animal breeds and vegetal varieties and essentially biological procedures for their obtaining.Human body (including gens and NDA without biological function).
Provisional protection provides rights against any third party from the date of publication of the application to the publication of the grant. Protection is provided before the publication of the application against any person notified of the filing and contents of the patent application.
Utility model protection is available for any inventions "capable of industrial application" that consist of providing an object or product of a configuration, structure of composition which results in a "noticeable advantage" in its use or manufacturing process. In order to register a Utility Model, the Statute requires that such invention does not derive from the relevant state of the art "in a very evident manner" for the person skilled in the art. This lowered level of inventive step justifies a lesser duration (10 years).
While utility models are typically available for protecting objects (instruments, tools, apparatus, devices), only inventions referring to procedures and those that relate to biological material and pharmaceutical substances and compositions are excluded from utility model protection.
Supplementary protection certificates for medicines and phytosanitary products are included in the list of legal titles granted by the SPTO for the protection of industrial inventions.
any combination of the above, without limitation.
Spanish Trademark law, defines an association mark as any sign capable of being represented graphically, which serves to distinguish on the market the goods or services of the members of an association of the goods or services of other companies.
Only associations of producers, manufacturers, traders or service providers with legal capacity, as well as legal persons governed by public law, may apply for collective marks.
Signs or indications which may be used in trade to indicate the geographical origin of the goods or services may be registered as collective marks. The right conferred by the collective mark shall not permit the proprietor to prohibit a third party from using such signs or indications in trade, provided that such use is carried out in accordance with fair practices in industrial or commercial matters; In particular, that mark may not be opposed by a third party authorized to use a geographical name.
The association mark cannot be assigned to third persons nor authorized its use to those that are not officially recognized by the association.
Spanish Trademark law, defines a certification mark as any sign capable of being represented graphically, used by a plurality of companies under the control and authorization of its owner, certifying that the products or services to which it applies comply with common requirements, in particular as regards their quality, components, geographical origin, technical conditions or method of production of the product or the provision of the service.
Spanish Trademark law, defines a tradename as any sign capable of being represented graphically, which identifies a company in the course of trade and distinguishes it from other companies carrying out identical or similar activities.
Spanish Design law defines a design as the appearance of all or part of a product which derives from the characteristics of, in particular, the lines, contours, colors, shape, texture or materials of the product itself or its ornamentation. To be protected, the design must have novelty and individual character.
Copyright protection arises automatically from the mere fact of the creation of the work.
To obtain copyright protection, a work must be original and be expressed in some specific form (therefore an idea is not, by itself, protected). The Spanish Copyright Act recognizes specific related copyrights to performers, phonogram producers, producers of audiovisual recordings, broadcasting organizations, ordinary photographs, specific editorial productions and the creators of databases (sui generis rights).

References: Art.3
 Art.83
 Art.1
sui generis
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