20 years. Patented medicines and plant protection new varieties can obtain an additional 5-year renewal period, and children's medicines can obtain an additional half-year patent protection period.
Filing Language: German Necessary documents:
- Exterior Design Picture (Six Views)
- A Brief Description
Attachments (if any):
- Power of Attorney
- Certified Priority Document
- Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of priority
- Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
- Authorization Fee: None
- Annuity: After granted, it will be paid year by year from the 4th year from the date of application, and should be paid within 3 months before the date of application each year. If the annual fee is overdue, the payment can be postponed within a grace period of 6 months, but a surcharge of 20% is required. The first annual fee (i.e. the 4th year) can be paid within 6 months of the late payment period without paying the penalty. It can also be paid every three years in the 4th to 6th year, and in the 7th to 10th year.
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.
yes. Before the patent is granted/rejected, the patent type can be changed from invention to utility model at the request of the applicant. Can only be converted once.
Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" and "unintentional/due care" accepted.
yes
1 month
ATPO only conducts formality examination of design patent applications.
ATPO conducts formality examination only for utility model patent applications. Although ATPO searches utility model patent applications, the search results do not affect the grant results. The applicant may amend the patent application after receiving the search report.
Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" and "unintentional/due care" accepted.