Blog - Patents, Trademarks & Designs
EPA Patent Index 2024
Justus Kreuels - 15. April 2025
The further development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is reflected in the rise of computer technology as the numerically strongest area for EU patent applications in 2024.
Patents in the EU: protection and registration
Justus Kreuels - 27. February 2025
Technical inventions (products or processes) can be protected by a patent under certain conditions. A patent can be applied for in one or more EU countries. International patent protection for EU countries is also possible via the European Patent.
Assessing the patentability of an invention: prior art search
Justus Kreuels - 8. January 2025
In patent law, prior art refers to all information and publications on a technical invention that were available to the public at the time the patent application was filed.
Patent search: procedure and databases
Justus Kreuels - 7. November 2024
A patent search is carried out before filing a patent application. Information on patents and utility models published worldwide is publicly available and can be searched, for example, in the online databases of the DPMA, EPO and WIPO.
The protection of trade secrets
Philipp Henrichs - 8. October 2024
The Trade Secrets Protection Act serves to protect confidential information. In addition to legal measures, companies should also define technical and organizational regulations in order to effectively protect their trade secrets.
Registering and protecting utility models
Justus Kreuels - 19. August 2024
The utility model is an industrial property right for technical inventions. It enables smaller, everyday innovations to be protected inexpensively and easily.