Guide for German patent application process

Patent Trademark

Germany Profile

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a parliamentary federal republic with 16 states. Its capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is located in central and western Europe, bordering Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria to the southeast, Switzerland to the souRead more

Germany Profile

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a parliamentary federal republic with 16 states. Its capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is located in central and western Europe, bordering Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria to the southeast, Switzerland to the southwest, France, Luxembourg and Belgium to the west, and the Netherlands to the northwest. Germany is the most populous country in the European Union and ranks sixteenth in the world.

German Intellectual Property Legal System

  • "Patent Law"
  • Patents Ordinance
  • "Utility Model Law"
  • "Utility Model Regulations"
  • "trademark law"
  • Trade Marks Ordinance
  • "Designs Act"
  • "Designs Regulations"
  • "Vegetation Diversity Protection Law"
  • Protect Microelectronic Semiconductor Product Topology Act
  • Employee Invention Protection Act
  • Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act
  • Copyright Society Administering Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act

International Organization/Agreement

  • Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks
  • WIPO Copyright Treaty
  • WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
  • Trademark Law Treaty
  • Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
  • Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs
  • Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure
  • Brussels Convention on the Sending of Program Signals for Satellite Transmissions
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty
  • The Strasbourg Agreement on the International Patent Classification
  • Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms
  • "Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization"
  • Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations
  • Nice Agreement on the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks
  • Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs
  • Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Origin of Goods
  • Madrid Agreement on the International Registration of Marks
  • Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Read less

Filing Language
German

申请流程 Application Process Flow

发明专利申请流程 Invention

Name of Patent Office

German Patent and Trademark Office

English: German Patent and Trade Mark Office, abbreviation: DPMA

Website: www.dpma.de

German invention patent search: DEPATISnet | Basic search (dpma.de)

  • Germany currently adopts a 13-digit patent application number coding rule:

    • 【Patent Type】+【Application Year】+【6-digit Serial Number】+【.】+【Check Code】

    • The rules apply to invention patents, utility models, layout design applications and supplementary protection certificates from January 1, 2004, and apply to trademark and design applications from January 1, 2008. The type codes are as follows:
    • 10: German invention patent application
      11: PCT application designating Germany
      12: Supplementary Protection Certificate
      20: Utility model application
      21: Utility model applications derived from PCT applications
      22: Layout Design Application
      30: Trademark Application
      40: Design application
      41: Typography
      50: The German part of the European Patent in German
      60: German part of the European patent in English or French
    • The 6-digit serial number starts from 000001 every year, and the number after the decimal point is the check code. The calculation method of the check code is:
      • 1. Multiply each number in the serial number from right to left (one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, etc.) by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. (arithmetic sequence) and add them;
      • 2. Divide the number from step 1 by 11 to get a remainder.
      • 3. Subtract the remainder obtained in step 2 from 11, which is the final check code.

Filing Language: German

via Paris Conventionvia Nationalization of PCT

Necessary documents:

  1. Abstract
  2. Abstract Drawing
  3. Claim
  4. Specification
  5. Drawing

Necessary documents:

  1. Abstract
  2. Abstract Drawing
  3. Claim
  4. Specification
  5. Drawing

Attachments (if any)

  1. Sequence Listing (PDF format and TXT format)
  2. Deposited Receipt of Microorganism and German Translation
  3. Viability Statement of Microorganism and German Translation
  4. Certified Priority Document
  5. Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of Priority
  6. Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
  7. Notification issued by CNIPA notify the applicant the application has passed through the security review

 

Attachments (if any)

  1. WIPO Publication
  2. ISR/IPRP
  3. Amendments under Art. 19/34/28/41 at the time of the national phase entry
  4. Sequence Listing (PDF format and TXT format)
  5. Deposited Receipt of Microorganism and German Translation
  6. Viability Statement of Microorganism and German Translation
  7. Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of Priority
  8. Assignment for Patent Right Transfer

 

20 years

  • 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 grant of the European patent.

DPMA conducts formality examination and substantive examination of invention patent applications. After the DPMA receives the patent application, it will conduct a formality examination of the invention patent application, and examine whether it is obviously against public morals, and classify the patent application according to the international classification standard. 18 months from the filing date/priority date, the DPMA completes the publication of the patent. If a patent application contains information or drawings that are clearly contrary to public morals, the DPMA will avoid publication of the patent application. Any person/applicant should submit a request for substantive examination within 7 years from the filing date/priority date at the latest, and pay the prescribed examination fee. DPMA will conduct novelty, industrial applicability and inventiveness examination on the patent application in accordance with the German Patent Law. If the requirements of the Patent Law are not met, the patent application will be rejected. If the requirements of the Patent Law are met, the patent application will be granted and announced. If no opposition occurs within 9 months from the date of grant, the patent will be protected for a maximum period of 20 years.

A 6-month novelty grace period is available for disclosures resulting from the presentation of inventions and creations at official or officially recognized international exhibitions, or malicious disclosures by third parties.

If a request for substantive examination is filed and pay the prescribed examination fees at the same time as the application is filed, and no extension request is filed, the patent procedure will be completed in an average of 2.5-3 years.

  • Grant Fee: None.
  • Annuity: Annuity will be paid year by year starting from the 3rd year from the filing date, and the deadline is 2 months after the filing date of each year, with a 6-month late payment period and a penalty of 50 euros.

Restoration of priority will not be accepted.

No

No

Name of Patent Office

German Patent and Trademark Office

English: German Patent and Trade Mark Office, abbreviation: DPMA

Website: www.dpma.de

German Utility Model Patent Search: DEPATISnet | Basic search (dpma.de)

  • Germany currently adopts a 13-digit patent application number coding rule:

    • 【Patent Type】+【Application Year】+【6-digit Serial Number】+【.】+【Check Code】

    • The rules apply to invention patents, utility models, layout design applications and supplementary protection certificates from January 1, 2004, and apply to trademark and design applications from January 1, 2008. The type codes are as follows:
    • 10: German invention patent application
      11: PCT application designating Germany
      12: Supplementary Protection Certificate
      20: Utility model application
      21: Utility model applications derived from PCT applications
      22: Layout Design Application
      30: Trademark Application
      40: Design application
      41: Typography
      50: The German part of the European Patent in German
      60: German part of the European patent in English or French
    • The 6-digit serial number starts from 000001 every year, and the number after the decimal point is the check code. The calculation method of the check code is:
      • 1. Multiply each number in the serial number from right to left (one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, etc.) by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. (arithmetic sequence) and add them;
      • 2. Divide the number from step 1 by 11 to get a remainder.
      • 3. Subtract the remainder obtained in step 2 from 11, which is the final check code.

Filing Language: German

via Paris Conventionvia Nationalization of PCT

Necessary documents:

  1. Abstract
  2. Abstract Drawing
  3. Claim
  4. Specification
  5. Drawing

Necessary documents:

  1. Abstract
  2. Abstract Drawing
  3. Claim
  4. Specification
  5. Drawing

Attachments (if any)

  1. Certified Priority Document
  2. Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of Priority
  3. Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
  4. Notification issued by CNIPA notify the applicant the application has passed through the security review.

 

Attachments (if any)

  1. WIPO Publication
  2. ISR/IPRP
  3. Amendments under Art. 19/34/28/41 at the time of the national phase entry
  4. Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of Priority
  5. Assignment for Patent Right Transfer

10 years

  • 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 grant of the European patent.

The DPMA conducts only formality examination only for utility model applications.

A 6-month novelty grace period is available for disclosures resulting from the presentation of inventions and creations at official or officially recognized international exhibitions, or malicious disclosures by third parties.

  • Grant Fee: None.
  • Annuity: Annuity should be paid three times in the 4th year, 7th year, and 9th year from the filing date.

4.2 months

No

No

No

Name of Patent Office

German Patent and Trademark Office

English: German Patent and Trade Mark Office, abbreviation: DPMA

Website: www.dpma.de

German design patent search: DEPATISnet | Basic search (dpma.de)

  • Germany currently adopts a 13-digit patent application number coding rule:

    • 【Patent Type】+【Application Year】+【6-digit Serial Number】+【.】+【Check Code】

    • The rules apply to invention patents, utility models, layout design applications and supplementary protection certificates from January 1, 2004, and apply to trademark and design applications from January 1, 2008. The type codes are as follows:
    • 10: German invention patent application
      11: PCT application designating Germany
      12: Supplementary Protection Certificate
      20: Utility model application
      21: Utility model applications derived from PCT applications
      22: Layout Design Application
      30: Trademark application
      40: Design application
      41: Typography
      50: The German part of the European Patent in German
      60: German part of the European patent in English or French
    • The 6-digit serial number starts from 000001 every year, and the number after the decimal point is the check code. The calculation method of the check code is:
      • 1. Multiply each number in the serial number from right to left (one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, etc.) by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. (arithmetic sequence) and add them;
      • 2. Divide the number from step 1 by 11 to get a remainder.
      • 3. Subtract the remainder obtained in step 2 from 11, which is the final check code.

Filing Language: German

Necessary documents:

  1. Pictures/Photos of Design (6-sided views)
  2. A Brief Description

Attachments (if any):

  1. Certified Priority Document
  2. Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of Priority
  3. Assignment for Patent Right Transfer

The initial period of protection is 5 years, which can be renewed 4 times, each time for 5 years, and the maximum protection period is 25 years.

  • via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
  • via EU Community Design: 6 months from earliest priority date.
  • via Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.

The DPMA conducts only formality examination for German design applications.

If the following situations occur:

  • Disclosures made public by the designer or his successor in title
  • Or, the designer or his successor of rights to provide information, the disclosure caused by the disclosure of the third party
  • Or disclosure caused by third party’s malicious disclosure

The novelty grace period can be enjoyed within 12 months after the first disclosure of the design.

  • Grant Fee: None.
  • Annuity: four times in the 6th year, 11th year, 16th year, and 21st year from the date of application, and the renewal fee must be paid before the expiration of the validity period.

3-4 months

No

No

Yes. A maximum of 100 designs may be included in one design application if there are at least one design in the same classification. 

套餐价格(官费和服务费) / Package fee

Get exact prices For the country / region

E-mail: mail@yezhimaip.com

Calculator