Join us in discovering the colourful world of intellectual property rights

Behind almost every interesting topic lies an intellectual achievement. And intellectual property - if one wishes to exploit it - should always be protected. Whether it’s a comic, a piece of sports equipment, a tablet, a machine or an instrument - behind almost everything lies a trade mark, a patent, a utility model or a design.

In our “Milestones” section, we tell stories about all kinds of intellectual property rights that represent outstanding achievements or have earned their creators a great deal of money (or both). In “Background”, you’ll find information and case studies on intellectual property rights for anyone who wants to know more. These include event reports, analyses and stories about intellectual property rights relating to annual occasions such as Easter bunny patents or Halloween designs. By browsing through “erfinden” (invent) you can discover our in-house publication, in which our patent examiners explore fascinating topics from their work, such as extraterrestrial life, weather forecasting or rare earths. In our “poster gallery”, we showcase inventions – both big and small – that shape our lives. It brings together a selection of inventions that have been filed with us since 1877. Patents ‘made in Germany’ - a treasure trove of fascinating stories and anecdotes.