Patent Application Encyclopedia

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT : 31 months from earliest priority date.

If the designer or a third party who directly or indirectly obtains relevant information from the designer discloses the design within 12 months before the filing date/priority date, the design will not lose its novelty.

10 years

• Grant fee: The granting official fee must be paid within 3 months after receiving the granted notification from the Patent Office, and the annual fee for the year of granted must be paid at the same time.
• Annuity: The annual fee shall be paid year by year from the first year since the filing date, and the subsequent annual fee shall be paid on the day before the announcement date of each payment year. If the annual fee is overdue, the payment can be postponed within a grace period of 6 months, but a late fee will be charged.

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.

The application does not lose novelty if it is disclosed by the applicant, inventor, agent, or a third party or state agency that has obtained information from the above-mentioned persons within 6 months before the filing date/priority date.

Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."

20 years

ATPO conducts formality examination and substantive examination of invention patents. The search report will be published together with the patent application within 18 months from the filing date, and the substantive examination will start automatically, and the applicant does not need to file a separate request for substantive examination. It can be authorized if the granted conditions are met.

Belgian Federal Government Intellectual Property Office

English: The Belgian Intellectual Property Office, Abbreviation: IPObel

Website: Intellectual property | FPS Economy (fgov.be)

Belgian invention patent search: Search in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) | CBE Public Search (fgov.be)

20 years

15 years

Reinstatement of the right of priority on the grounds of "unintentional" is accepted and subject to payment of the right of priority restoration fee.

no

Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" accepted.

The initial protection period is 5 years, renewable 4 times, up to 25 years.

Reinstatement of Priority Accepted on Unintentional Grounds.

10 years