HOW TO PROTECT TRADEMARKS

A trademark can be any sign which can be presented graphically, if such a sign is capable of distinguishing the goods of one company from the goods of another company, especially a word, drawing, ornament, coloristic composition, 3-D form, including form of a good or a packaging, melody or other acoustic signal.

Stages of granting protection:

1. Trademark search - searches for finding the existence of identical or similar trademarks (protected or applied), conducted in available data bases of PPO, OHIM and WIPO;
2. Preparing a trademark application (request with enclosures, inter alia - list of goods and services, description of the mark);
3. Filing procedure within PPO includes inter alia following stages:
   • giving a serial number to an application on the filing date,
   • filing an official fee for a trademark application on PPO bank account in the amount according to the list of official fees,
   • formal examination of a trademark application,
   • publication an information about a trademark application w PPO Bulletin (after 3 months from the filing date),
   • 6-month period for filing comments by third parties regarding obstacles for granting protection,
   • substantial examination of a trademark application for stating if the trademark application fulfils legal requirements to be granted protection,
   • issuing a decision of granting protection,
   • filing official fees for the first period of protection and publication;
4. Period of protection - protective right for a trademark lasts 10 years with possibility of renewals for further 10-years.

 
INVENTIONS

An invention is defined as a new solution having an inventive step and able to be industrially applied.

Stages of granting protection:

1. Searches in the state of the art and patentability of the invention;
2. Preparing a patent application (request with enclosures - inter alia specification, patent claims, abstract and drawings);
3. Filing procedure within PPO includes inter alia following stages:
   • giving a serial number to an application on the filing date,
   • filing an official fee for a patent application on PPO bank account in
     the amount according to the list of official fees,
   • formal examination of a patent application,
   • publication an information about a patent application w PPO Bulletin (after 18
     months from the filing date),
   • 6-month period for filing comments by third parties regarding obstacles for
     granting protection,
   • substantial examination of a patent application for stating if it fulfils legal
     requirements to be granted protection,
   • issuing a decision of granting protection,
   • filing official fees for the first period of protection and publication;
4. Period of protection - patent for invention lasts 20 years divided into periods (3 years, 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1 year)

UTILITY MODELS

An utility model is defined as a new and useful solution having a technical character regarding shape, building or composition of an object of permanent shape.

Stages of granting protection:

1. Searches in the state of the art and protection ability of the utility model;
2. Preparing an utility model application (request with enclosures - inter alia description, claims and drawings);
3. Filing procedure within PPO includes inter alia following stages:
   • giving a serial number to an application on the filing date,
   • filing an official fee for an utility model application on PPO bank account in
     the amount according to the list of official fees,
   • formal examination of an utility model application,
   • publication an information about an utility model application w PPO Bulletin (after 18 months from the filing date),
   • 6-month period for filing comments by third parties regarding obstacles for granting protection,
   • substantial examination of an utility model application for stating if it fulfils legal requirements to be granted protection,
   • issuing a decision of granting protection,
   • filing official fees for the first period of protection and publication;
4. Period of protection - protective right for utility model lasts 10 years divided into four periods (3, 2, 3 and 2 years).

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

An industrial design is defined as a new and having individual character shape of a product or its part given to it by virtues of lines, shapes, coloristic, by structure or material of a product or by its ornamentation.

Stages of granting protection:

1. Design search conducted in available data bases of PPO, OHIM and WIPO.
2. Preparing a design application (request with enclosures - inter alia description and drawings/photos).
3. Filing procedure within PPO includes inter alia following stages:
   • giving a serial number to an application on the filing date,
   • filing an official fee for a design application on PPO bank account in the
     amount according to the list of official fees,
   • formal examination of a design application,
   • issuing a decision of granting protection,
   • filing official fees for the first period of protection and publication;
4. Period of protection - registration of the design lasts 25 years divided into five 5-years periods.

FOREIGN COOPERATION

Law and Patent Agency „BELLEPAT" cooperates with many renowned foreign patent agencies.

Our foreign associates offer a long experience, they are highly professional and their charges are reasonable. Those features, in our view, decide about their reliability.

We have established Professional contacts with law and patent agencies from following countries: USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia, China, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, Turkey, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Ireland, United Kingdom, Israel, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Ukraine and Russia.

For ensuring to our clients a worldwide possibility of industrial and intellectual property protection, we continuously aim to widen the number of our foreign associated.