Protect your idea, be it an invention, product, service or design

Industrial property protection is not only about protection; it gives you rights too. Alongside your unique position, you also have exclusive rights to exploit your invention, your products or your trade mark.

Where do I apply for protection?

For Germany, patents, utility models, trade marks and designs are applied for nationally at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office DPMA.

International organisations:

European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

The right kind of protection for my idea

Industrial property protection also includes patent, utility model, trade mark and design law. Patent and utility model law concerns the protection of technical inventions; trade mark law protects the names of products or services and also company names; design law relates to the protection of the appearance of flat surfaces or three-dimensional objects.

The following table shows an excerpt from the German Patent and Trade Mark Office definitions and specifications.