Trade fairs

Exhibition priority

For utility models, trade marks and designs which are displayed at a domestic or foreign exhibition prior to filing an application with the DPMA, "exhibition protection" may be claimed, which is known as exhibition priority. In principle, the filing date is crucial for the priority of an application and for examining novelty of the invention or the design. This principle is modified by the exhibition priority, which grants applicants protection in the form of a right of priority from the very first day of the display at the exhibition. You will find an overview of trade fairs published by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection pursuant to Section 15(3) of the Design Act (Designgesetz), Section 6a(3) of the Utility Model Act (Gebrauchsmustergesetz) and Section 35(3) of the Trade Mark Act (Markengesetz) under the search term "Ausstellungsschutz" (exhibition protection) in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).