Property rights

There are several ways of protecting intellectual property, inventions, models, designs, etc. Which strategy is best for protecting and enforcing own rights depends on factors such as applicability, commercial targets, extent of protection and budget.

Use the table below to get detailed information about current protective rights.

	What is protectable?	How long does protection last?	How are protective right applications examined?	How long does it take to get a protective right approved?


Patents	Examination of form and content by the patent office
Utility models	Examination of form, autonomous and thorough examination of third-party rights, official examination only for lawsuits for cancellation or for lawsuits for breach of contract
Trademarks	Examination of form, autonomous and thorough examination of third-party rights
Aesthetic models	Examination of form, autonomous and thorough examination of third-party rights
Company names	Regional examination whether an existing entity (in the same line of business or in the same local court district) already has the desired name, autonomous and thorough examination whether there are prior German, European or international trademarks
Domains	Only regional examination whether an existing entity already has the desired name