Trade Marks As a rule, trade marks identify goods and services of an enterprise and are its intellectual property just like patents. Strong trade marks are assets. Above all, those signs can be protected as trade marks that are suitable for distinguishing goods an/or…
Utility Models Utility models are “fast IP rights”. Examination and grant of a patent usually take several years. A utility model, on the other hand, can be entered in the Register within a few weeks after receiving the application provided the documents filed comply…
Apply for Designs Further topics Required data and documents Tips for your design application Simple and comfortable: online filing of design applications The best way to file your design application is online via DPMA direktWeb (for applications containing up to 20…
Classification and Product Specification Every design application requires a product specification A design application must include a specification of the products in which the design is incorporated or on which it is applied. If several designs are combined into a…
Design Protection Further topics Requirements of Protection Registered designs protect the appearance of your products Registered designs protect the appearance of industrially manufactured or manually crafted products, for example, clothes, furniture, vehicles,…
Invalidity Proceedings Invalidity proceedings before the DPMA During the registration procedure before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), only the formal requirements and a few substantive requirements for design protection are examined, namely the…
Designs Today, the design of a product plays a considerable role in the buying decision. It provides impetus and sparks emotions. Since functional differences between products have become fewer and life cycles shorter, the visual appearance of a product is often the…
IP Search Whether you are planning an application yourself, looking for technical solutions to specific problems, require information about a particular business's patent portfolio, want to avoid breaching third-party IP rights, or have other queries - the DPMA…
Protect How to protect your intellectual property Would you like to protect a technical invention, a name, your logo, a product design or your handcrafted product? Then the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) is the right place for you. On the following pages,…
Newsletter Ausgabe 4/2026 piznet-Aktionswoche 2026: Geistiges Eigentum strategisch nutzen - kostenfreie IP-Analyse für Gründende, Start-ups und KMU vom 16. bis 20. November 2026 Innovations-Roadshow 2026: Von Berlin bis Aachen - acht Stationen, viele Impulse…