Patent

A patent gives you exclusive rights to manufacture and sell your invention. A patent protects a product or production method from being exploited by others, allowing you to get the most out of your investment. A patent can be granted for new inventions in all technical fields that can be exploited industrially. These can be devices, processes and applications.

It is a requirement that the invention is new and differs significantly from anything known. Prior to the filing of the patent application, the product must not have been placed on the market or shown at exhibitions, nor must it have been mentioned in brochures, articles or lectures anywhere in the world. Protection by means of patents is valid from the date of filing for up to 20 years, provided an annual fee is paid each year.

Patent protection can be obtained in Denmark and abroad. As for abroad, there are several ways to go:

• Submission of an international application (PCT application), possibly with priority* from a previous application.

• Submission of a European application (EP application), possibly with priority* from a previous Danish application.

• Filing a patent application in each country (national application) where protection is sought, possibly with priority from a previous Danish application.

*Priority is a right of priority whereby the international, European or national patent application is deemed to have been filed on the same day as an earlier application. However, please note that priority is only valid for up to one year from the filing date of the earlier application.