Registration Procedure Application, and then? You will receive an acknowledgement containing the date of filing as well as the file number. Within three months from filing the application, the application fee must have been received by the DPMA; otherwise, the…
Cancellation Proceedings Cancellation Proceedings - putting utility models to the test Utility models are registered without examining whether they are eligible for protection. In case of a dispute, cancellation proceedings at the DPMA will clarify whether the…
Protection Requirements Within the scope of the registration procedure, the DPMA mainly examines the formal protection requirements. However, it is also examined whether the subject matter is a technical invention at all or whether the subject matter is excluded from…
Protectability What can be protected by a utility model? All technical inventions can be protected by a utility model as they can be by a patent. This also includes chemical substances, foodstuffs and medicinal products. Protection is not available for: discoveries,…
Examination and Grant Examination procedure In the examination procedure, the DPMA patent examiners make sure that your invention fulfils the following criteria: novelty inventive step industrial applicability In addition, the invention must be of technical character…
Good Reasons for a Patent Application at the DPMA German patents will continue to be highly attractive even after the introduction of the European Unitary Patent. What are the arguments for filing your invention with the DPMA? Proven quality The DPMA is renowned for…
Opposition and Revocation Opposition proceedings Any person may give notice of opposition within nine months of the publication of the grant of a patent in the Patent Gazette ( Patentblatt ). If no opposition is filed, the patent becomes legally valid upon expiry of…
Press Further topics Press releases Interesting facts Do you have questions about patents, trade marks and more? Find the answers here! On our media pages, you can find information about the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) and its responsibilities. We…
Computer-implemented inventions In the age of the Internet, smartphones and digitisation and as part of the 4th Industrial Revolution, it is impossible to imagine technology without software. Many of the latest innovations can be attributed to digital data…
Patent Protection - Overview Further topics Protection Requirements Protection for your technical inventions Commercially successful ideas are often copied or imitated – from everyday objects to sophisticated high-tech products. You can use patents to protect your…