Patent Application Encyclopedia

20 years

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

• Licensing Fee: None.
• Annual Fee: None.

6 months

no

2 years

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT : 20 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.

*Luxembourg is one of the only countries in the world that still retain Chapter I for 20 months to enter the national phase (the other is Tanzania). If it takes 30 months to enter the national phase, a request for international preliminary examination must be submitted.

6 months from the earliest priority date.

• The average time for partial substantive examination design granted is 1-2 months.
• The average time for substantive examination of design granted is 10-12 months.

ICPR only conducts formality examination of design patent applications. Under the same category, a design contains a maximum of 20 designs or pictures. Appearance patents are disclosed early, and relevant interests can raise objections within 60 days after publication. If there is no objection, the design will be authorized.

8-10 years

Reinstatement of priority on grounds of “due care” accepted as RO.

Authorization Fee: None

Annuity: The applicant shall pay the commenced and all due annual fees within 3 months from the date of granted. The annual fee shall be calculated and paid year by year from the third year from the application date, and shall be paid before the application date of each year. Overdue payment may be made within 6 months of the overdue period.

Applicants are required to provide the Indian Patent Office with a report on the work of the granted patent, stating the commercial work status of the patent in the previous year, before March 31 of each year.

Kuwait Ministry of Industry and Commerce Trademark and Patent Office

English: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Trademarks and Patent Department, abbreviation: KPO

URL: MOCI

10 years

yes

Bulgarian Patent and Trademark Office

English: Bulgarian Patent Office, abbreviation: BPO

Website: Патентното ведомство на Република България (bpo.bg)

Bulgarian Utility Model Patent Search: BPO Online - portal.bpo.bg

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• Validation of European Patent in EPO member states: 3 months from the date of European patent grant.

no

10 years