patent & trademark attorneys Brno
Patents are issued on inventions, which are new worldwide, are results of inventive step, industrially applicable and are of technical character. Possible validity term of patents is 20 years since filing date. Inventions can be protected through Czech national patents, foreign national patents, European patents or European Unitary Patents. As an intermediate stage International PCT patent application can be filed to postpone the final date for decision in which countries national applications should be filed.
Trademark can be national, international or EU trademarks valid in all EU member states. Trademarks can be represented as words, logo, figures, shapes of the product, packaging, sound or combinations thereof. It is necessary to claim specific fields of activity and products which should be protected for – so called product or service classification. The protection can be asked also for typical geographical products. Trademarks can be renewed each 10 years since filig date with no time limit.
Proceedings about european applation takes place before European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich untill grant of the patent. This can be subsequently validated in member states. New possibility is Unitary Patent valid for most of EU member states. In such case no validations in those member states are necessary.
Designs can be registered as national, international or as EU designs valid in all EU member states. Design represents outlook of a product or part of it, consisting in shape lines, colours or decoration of a product. Industrial designs can be renewed each 5 years since filig date for total time period of 25 years.
Utility models are registered for technical solutions which are new and involve inventive step and which are industrially applicable. Can be filed even if the applicant has published the results in the last 6 months before filing of application. Possible validity term of utility models is 10 years since filing date.