12-14 months
- Licensing Fee: None.
- Annuity: pay once every 5 years, and must be paid within 6 months before the due date of the application. If the annual fee is overdue, it can be paid within a grace period of 6 months, and a 50% penalty is required.
yes. Before the applicant receives the final decision, it may be proposed to change the type of invention from invention to utility model.
2-3 years
INPI only conducts formality examination of utility model patent applications. Substantive examination may only be requested if the applicant deems it necessary. An invention protected by a patent can be protected simultaneously or successively with a utility model. To this end, applicants have a maximum of 1 year to make changes.
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.
- Validation of European Patent in EPO member states: within 3 months from the date of granted of the European invention.
The initial protection is 6 years, which can be extended twice, up to a maximum of 10 years.
yes. Before the applicant has received a final decision, an application to change the type of invention from a utility model to an invention may be proposed.
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.
12-14 months
INPI only conducts formality examination of design patent applications.