How does a European patent work?
A patent provides exclusive legal protection to the holder of new, industrially applicable inventions based on inventive activity produced in any field of technology.
- A valid patent in Hungary can be obtained by filing a national or European application or by a patent application filed within the framework of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Most applicants are not satisfied with just a Hungarian patent application but also try to extend the protection of their invention by filing an international application.
- It is worth considering in which countries the applicant’s invention may have a market and where it can be utilized. In light of this knowledge, it is recommended to make a decision on extending the international protection of the patent application.
How long does a patent last?
A patent right offers protection for 20 years starting from the date of the application.
Invention patent application process: this is how our patent attorneys in Budapest can assist you
- When a Client contacts us with an invention, we usually ask them to briefly describe to us what the invention is, what is new about it, and what makes their inventive idea special.
- If you can illustrate your ideas with a few simple, explanatory drawings, it is usually a great help to our trademark patent attorneys. These don’t need to be technical drawings, even a simple freehand graphic is more than adequate for a start.
- A very important part of the patent description is the part where we reveal the advantages of the invention compared to existing technical solutions. What makes the solution offered by the invention better, simpler, more efficient, and more economical compared to those that are already known?
- Based on the short description of the inventor, our cooperating patent attorneys conduct a patent search, and then we start compiling the patent description for the application process.
- After that, the inventor or the applicant can comment on the draft, whether we have understood their invention well. They can supplement it, and revise it before we move forward with the patent application procedure.
- Then our patent attorneys look at it again and following some discussions and exchange of documents, the description of the invention is put into a form that meets the requirements of the corresponding patent law and faithfully reflects the original thoughts of the inventor.
The most important part of patent protection
The most important part of the patent description to be submitted to the intellectual property offices is the patent claims. The scope of protection is defined with the claims.
Drafting a claim is a form of art since it has to be concise, and to the point – every word counts.
- If it is too vague, there may be an earlier solution that can be relied upon and then the patent or utility model protection can be rendered useless.
- If it is too specific, it is possible to find a technical solution that produces the favorable properties of the protected solution but does not meet the specifications of the patent description. In other words, the patent protection can be circumvented.
Contact our patent attorneys in Budapest today!
It is worth noting that a patent application is a complex procedure, and can take several years until the registration. Therefore, cooperating with patent attorneys is important to be able to navigate through the intricate legislative environment.
We believe that our Budapest-based law firm, along with our co-operating patent attorneys, can offer high-level assistance regarding patent matters.
