Utility Models

Devices and products can also be protected as utility models. The registration of utility models is often significantly faster and less expensive than applying for a patent, which must be officially approved by the Patent Office.

Compared to patents, for which the term of protection is up to 20 years, the term of protection for a utility model is only ten years. However, in practice, this can be entirely sufficient.

Both a patent and a utility model can be asserted in ordinary courts. It is necessary, however, to consider that the utility model is an unverified industrial property right connected to a particular pending risk meaning that, in comparison to the existing state-of-the-art, the utility model might not be protectable. We also provide legal advice with regard to such cases.