Patent Law

Patent law – also known as a patent – is an intellectual property right. With a patent right, you can protect a technical invention against unintended use by others. By means of a patent right, you get the exclusive right to determine who is allowed to make, use or sell the invention under which conditions. You can, therefore, prohibit others from doing that.

Patent rights can be granted on inventions that are new, based on inventive step and are industrially applicable. Contrary to popular belief, patent rights can also be acquired on software.

The idea behind a patent is that it stimulates innovation and that, for example, the costs of research and development can be recouped.

Patent rights are not easily obtained, unlike, for example, copyright, where this right is automatically created by the creation of a work. A patent must be applied for. Such an application is quite complicated. A patent attorney – an expert in applying for patents – can help you with such an application.