How can I protect my patent internationally?
April 18, 2022 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Andrea Maier
Dear patent attorney,
My name is Leonie Schmidt and I am working as an inventor on an innovative product that I would like to protect worldwide. I have already obtained a national patent for my product, but I am unsure about how to protect my patent internationally.
I am concerned that without international protection, my product could easily be copied by other companies, which would jeopardize my investments and hard work. Therefore, I would like to know what options are available to protect my patent outside of my home country.
Could you please explain to me what steps I need to take to file my patent internationally? Are there any specific procedures or organizations that can assist me with this process? Which countries should I consider for protecting my patent?
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can provide on how to best protect my intellectual property in order to safeguard my invention from imitators.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Best regards,
Leonie Schmidt
Dear Mrs. Schmidt,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the protection of your patent on an international level. It is understandable that you are concerned that your invention could be copied by other companies without the appropriate protection. Therefore, it is important to protect your intellectual property to secure your investments and hard work.
There are various ways to protect your patent internationally. The most common method is to file an international patent application through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). By filing a PCT application, you can apply for protection for your invention in multiple countries simultaneously. The advantage of the PCT is that you can initially file an international application and later decide in which countries you actually want protection. This gives you more flexibility and time to decide in which countries you want to protect your patent.
To file an international patent through the PCT, you will need to contact the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO is the organization responsible for managing the PCT and can assist you with filing your international application. It is advisable to contact WIPO early on to start the process of international filing.
When it comes to selecting the countries in which you want to protect your patent, it is important to consider the markets in which your invention will be marketed. You should take into account the economic importance of the countries as well as their legal framework for intellectual property. It may also be useful to seek advice from an experienced patent attorney to develop the best strategies for the international protection of your invention.
I hope this information is helpful and gives you an overview of the options for protecting your patent internationally. If you have any further questions or need assistance with the international filing, please feel free to contact me.
Best regards,
Andrea Maier, Patent Attorney.
