PATENTS and UTILITY MODELS

What is a patent?
A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the state government. A patent gives the inventor the exclusive right to exploit the invention for a 20-year term and, in exchange, society receives the benefit of the disclosure of the new invention.

What is a utility model?
A utility model is an intellectual property right to protect a new arrangement or form incorporated in known tools, working instruments, utensils, apparatus or objects involving a practical use. In this case, besides the novelty and industrial application requirements, the invention should lead to improved use or better performance of the operations for which they are intended.Patents for utility models shall grant the inventor exclusive rights to commercially exploit the invention for a term of 10 years, which cannot be extended.

Why should an invention be patented?
A patent confers a temporary government-granted monopoly right on something made by an inventor. This exclusive right allows a patent owner to manufacture, use, commercialize, offer for sale, import and export the patented good or service, and it also gives protection against unauthorized exploitation by third parties.

What inventions can be protected?
There are some substantive requirements that must be satisfied before any invention can be patented:

The claimed invention must be useful for some purpose and must lead to the
    improvement or enhancement of the existing subject matter.
The claimed invention must be novel; in other words, it must introduce a
    characteristic which shall be deemed new when it does not form part of the state
    of the art.
The claimed invention must be capable of being manufactured or otherwise
    industrially used.


Our Services

Patent and Utility Models searches
Before filing a patent application, Infomarca offers clients the possibility to conduct a patentability search using the INPI database in order to provide them with a meaningful patentability opinion. While this search is not mandatory, we strongly believe in the importance of performing a patentability search before preparation and filing of a patent application in order to reduce the risk of expending unnecessary effort and resources.

Patent Watch Service
At Infomarca, we take care of the entire patent prosecution process. Our aim is to provide a personalized service by keeping our clients informed so that they remain aware of the progress or the obstacles that may come up in the different phases of the process.

Annuities (maintenance fees)
After the grant of a patent, annuities are to be paid to INPI to maintain the exclusive right on the patented invention. Infomarca manages all annuity payments in order to reduce our clients' administrative burden and keeps patent applicants informed of the progress of the patent process.