ON THIS SITE YOU WILL FIND A SHORT OVERVIEW ABOUT OUR SERVICES

We are specialized on patent law, i. e. we offer all services which have to do with patent protection
at home and abroad, protection of trademarks, utility models, design patents and semiconductors-
topography-applications.We furnish technical opinion for you and carry out computer based
searches for property rights in the database of the German Patent and Trademark Office and in
international databases. Also we offer the monitoring of the annual fees. Besides that we advise
you in questions and problems in connection with copyright and unfair competition. Concerning
license agreements we are the experts. Furthermore we carry out an own surveillance of
trademarks.



PATENT

A patent protects a technical invention - herewiththe inventor will be granted an advantage in
the market. The condition for the protection concerning the patent law is that the product is new,
based on inventive step and susceptible of industrial application. The owner of a patent can those
who infringe the patent sue for damages and omission. Patent protection ends 20 years after the
filing date at the latest.

UTILITY MODEL

Like a patent an utility model is a technical property right.With an utility model inventions will
be protected against imitation (this does not contain processes). The duration with 10 years at
maximum is shorter than with a patent, however the examination if it is a new product and if it is
based on inventive step will not be applied. According to this the proceeding is shorter.

PROTECTION OF TRADEMARKS

To have its goods and services be distinguishable from those of other contractors, a symbol may
be created and filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office to be recorded in the trademark
register. Depending on what it is about for example a "brand label" may be requested for a kitchen-
ware or a "service mark" for a new cure. The protection amounts up to ten years, however it can be
extended as often as necessary, as long as the necessary renewal fees have been paid.

DESIGN PATENT

The design patent serves the protection of the design of a product (e. g. the designing of a new
kitchenware) or of a surface (such as a carpet or wallpaper pattern). The design has to be new
and "specific", i. e. it has to be based on an individual and independent performance.Furthermore
it must be possible to use the design commercially. A design patent is protected for five years at
first, however the protection may be extended up to 25 years through the payment of corres-
ponding fee.

PROTECTION OF TOPOGRAPHY

Here the geometrical structure (topography) of a semiconductor product (microchip) will be
protected, if it has a "characteristic", i. e. does not correspond to the common prior art. Merely
the geometrical structure will be protected, but not the technical function or the configuration
of the microchip.