There are three different ways of extending a patent abroad: Foreign national patent; European patent; International patent application Within the next few years, an additional method of patent extension may also be represented by the European patent with unitary effect (the so-called Unitary Patent), currently under development by the European Patent Office (EPO). Established [...]

The extension of a patent abroad ensures the protection of your invention beyond national borders. In fact, patent law is territorially limited. An Italian patent will, therefore, protect the invention only in Italy. To protect your invention outside the national border, it is necessary to file corresponding patent applications in all foreign States of [...]

The cost of a patent is distributed over its entire life span (20 years) and depends on various factors such as the complexity of the invention, the number of claims and above all the territorial coverage (i.e. in which states you want to protection your invention). In Italy, the initial costs of filing a [...]

Filing a patent is a complex procedure; it is in fact necessary to prepare a well-detailed report, which describes, even with the help of technical drawings, the invention and highlights the innovative features for which the exclusivity is required (the claims).To file a patent it is, therefore, always advisable to contact an experienced IP Property [...]

A patent is a legal document that contains a Title, a Summary, a Description, Claims, and Drawings. The drafting of a patent is therefore a fundamental activity in order to determine the scope of the invention; a poorly written patent can in fact affect the market value of the invention or not lead to the [...]

The claims define the technical characteristics of the invention for which patent protection is sought; they define the limits of the protection, be it a method, an apparatus or a system, and are the elements that are normally used to determine possible patent infringement. The claims are of interest for: • the owner of the [...]

To guarantee the novelty requirement, it is important to maintain strict confidentiality on the invention and not to disclose in any form the innovative idea (by word of mouth, in writing, via the internet or social networks, at conferences or fairs, etc.) before having filed the patent application. If it is (absolutely) necessary to [...]

Not all inventions are patentable, but only those which represent a new and original solution to a technical problem. In order to be patentable, an invention must, therefore, meet 3 fundamental requirements: • Novelty - The invention must be new • Inventiveness - The invention must not be obvious to an experienced person in [...]

A patent gives the owner an exclusive right to exploit an invention, preventing others from producing, selling, or using the invention without his authorization (license). A patent can transform an invention with a high market value into an exclusive right which allows the owner to exploit it, in a specific territory and for a [...]

A utility model is traditionally used to protect minor enhancements to existing products in order to improve their effectiveness or ease of application. A utility model differs from a patent in that it has a shorter term of protection. This depends on the country, for example, in Italy it has a duration of 5 [...]