- Utility model
A utility model is an
intellectual property right to protectinvention s. This right is available in a number of nationallegislation s, such asArgentina ,Austria ,Brazil ,Chile ,China ,Finland ,France ,Germany ,Hungary ,Italy ,Japan ,Malaysia ,Mexico ,Morocco ,Philippines ,Poland ,Portugal ,Russia ,South Korea ,Spain ,Taiwan ,Uzbekistan , etc. [ WIPO web site, [http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/ip_business/utility_models/where.htm Where can Utility Models be Acquired? ] ] It is very similar to thepatent , but usually has a shorter term (often 6 or 10 years) and less stringentpatentability requirements.The German and
Austria n utility model is called the "Gebrauchsmuster ", which influenced some other countries such as in Japan. The utility model in Indonesia and Finland is called a "Petty Patent". Fact|date=September 2008Definition
A utility model is a statutory monopoly granted for a limited time in exchange for an inventor providing sufficient teaching of his or her invention to permit a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art to perform the invention. The rights conferred by utility model laws are very similar to those granted by patent laws, but are more suited to what may be considered as "incremental inventions" [U. Suthersanen, Incremental Inventions in Europe: A Legal and Economic Appraisal of Second Tier Patents, in Journal of Business Law, 2001, 319 ff] . Terms such as "petty patent", "innovation patent", "minor patent", and "small patent" may also be considered to fall within the definition of "utility model". [Kelsey Martin Mott, The Concept of the Small Patent, in The International Business Executive, 5 February 2007, Volume 5, Issue 3 , pp 23 - 24] A "utility innovation" is available in Malaysia. [ [http://www.myipo.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=7 Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) - Patent Manual and Specification ] ]
Requirements for grant
Most countries having utility model laws require that the invention be new. However, many patent or utility model offices do not conduct substantive examination and merely grant the utility model after checking that utility model applications comply with formalities. Some countries exclude particular subject matter from utility model protection. For example, methods, plants and animals are normally barred from utility model protection.
In
Germany a utility model is considered to be new if it does not form part of the state of the art. The state of the art comprises any knowledge made available to the public by means of a written description or by use within Germany before the date relevant for the priority of the application. Description or use within the six months preceding the date relevant for the priority of the application shall not be taken into consideration if it is based on the conception of the applicant or his predecessor in title. [Utility Model Law § 3 Abs. 1]In
Spain , the novelty requirement for obtaining a utility model ( _es. modelo de utilidad) is "relative", i.e. only public written disclosure of the invention in Spain is prejudicial against the novelty of the invention claimed in the utility model. This is in sharp contrast with Spanish patents for which absolute novelty is required. What constitutes a "disclosure of the invention "in Spain" has been the subject of two recent decisions of theSpanish Supreme Court [RJ 1996/7239 "Scott c. Sarrió y Sarrió Tisú" and RJ 2004/2740 "PEMSA c. Interflex"] .Application
Utility model applications may be prepared and filed at local patent offices in countries where utility model protection is available. Alternatively, an international patent application may be filed in a country belonging to the
Patent Cooperation Treaty . Most countries belonging to the treaty and having utility model laws permit utility model applications to proceed as national phase applications of the international patent application.The table below is a list of countries having utility model protection under various names as at March 2008. [ [http://www.billanderson.com.au/pats_frame.htm Bill's Patent Attorney Stuff ] ] Primary source claim|date=March 2008
Country Type of Protection Maximum Term PCT route available [cite web |url=http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/pdf/typesprotection.pdf |title=Types of Protection under the PCT |accessdate=2008-02-12|format=PDF] Conversion from Patent Application Albania [cite web |url=http://www.ladas.com/BULLETINS/1994/1194Bulletin/Albania_NewIPLaw.html |title=Ladas & Parry Newsletter, November 2004 |accessdate=2008-02-16] [cite web |url=http://www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol2/annexes/al.pdf |title=PCT Applicants Guide - Albania |accessdate=2008-02-16|format=PDF]utility model 10 years Yes Yes Angola [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 104, January 2006.]utility model no set term No No Argentina [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 113, September 2007.]utility model 10 years No Yes ARIPO [cite web |url=http://www.aripo.org/index.php?lng=en|title=ARIPO website |accessdate=2008-04-27]utility model 8 years Yes Yes Armenia [cite web |url=http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/ipstats/en/resources/pdf/armenia.pdf |title=WIPO Information on Armenia |accessdate=2008-04-27]utility model 10 years Yes unknown Aruba [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 111, May 2007.]small patent 6 years Yes via Netherlands Yes Australia [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 110, March 2007.]innovation patent 8 years Not unless by division Yes Austria [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 110, March 2007.]utility model 10 years Yes Yes by division Azerbaijan [cite web |url=http://www.cipr.org/legal_reference/countries/azerbaijan/Azerb_Patent_ENG.pdf |title=Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights - Information on Armenia |accessdate=2008-04-27]utility model unknown Yes Yes Belarus [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 108, November 2006.]utility model 8 years Yes unknown Belgium [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 114, November 2007.]short patent 6 years No No Belize [cite web |url=http://belizecorporateip.com/faqs-pt.shtml |title=Belize Corporate & IP Services |accessdate=2008-02-14]utility model 7 years Yes Yes Bolivia [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 113, September 2007.]utility model 10 years No unknown Botswana [cite web |url=http://www.ladas.com/BULLETINS/1997/1297Bulletin/Botswana_NewIPLaw.html |title=Ladas & Parry Newsletter, December 1997 |accessdate=2008-02-14]utility model 7 years Yes unknown Brazil [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 106, June 2006.]utility model 10 years Yes probably Bulgaria [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 104, January 2006.]utility model 10 years Yes probably Chile [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 111, May 2007.]utility model 10 years No unknown China [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 101, June 2005.]utility model patent 10 years Yes unknown Colombia [Manual for the Handling of applications for patents, designs and trade marks throughout the world, Kluwer Law International, Update No. 90, November 2001.]utility model 10 years Yes probably by division Costa Rica [cite web |url=http://www.wipo.int/clea/docs_new/pdf/es/cr/cr002es.pdf |title=WIPO Collection of laws for electronic access |accessdate=2008-02-14|format=PDF]utility model 12 years Yes Yes Czech Republic utility model 10 years Yes Yes by division Denmark utility model 10 years Yes Yes by division Ecuador utility model 10 years Yes Yes by division Estonia utility model 8 years Yes Yes Ethiopia utility model unknown unknown unknown Finland petty patent 10 years Yes Yes France [cite web |url=http://www.jpo.go.jp/shiryou_e/toushin_e/shingikai_e/pdf/en_utility/material3.pdf |title=Comparison of Utility Model Laws by Nation |accessdate=2008-032-10|format=PDF]utility model 6 years No Yes Georgia utility model 8 years Yes Yes Germany utility model 10 years Yes Yes Ghana utility model 7 years Yes Yes Greece utility model 7 years No Yes Guatemala utility model 10 years No Yes Honduras utility model 15 years Yes unknown Hungary utility model 10 years Yes Yes Indonesia Petty Patent/Simple Patent 5 years Yes Yes Ireland short term patent 10 years No Yes Italy utility model 10 years No Yes Japan utility model 10 - 15 years Yes Yes Kazakhstan utility model 8 years Yes Yes Kenya utility model 12 years Yes probably Korea (south) utility patent 15 years Yes Yes Kuwait utility model 7 years No unknown Kyrgyzstan utility model unknown Yes unknown Laos petty patent 7 years No unknown Lesotho utility model 7 years Yes Yes Macau utility model unknown No unknown Malaysia utility innovation 15 years No No Mexico utility model patent 5 years Yes Yes. Art. 49 of the Mexican Law for Industrial Property Mexico utility model 10 years Yes unknown Moldova utility model unknown Yes probably Mozambique utility model unknown Yes probably Netherlands short term patent 6 years No unknown Nicaragua utility model unknown Yes probably OAPI utility model 8 years Yes probably not Panama utility model 10 years No unknown Peru utility model patent 5 years No Yes Philippines utility model 15 years Yes Yes Poland utility model 10 years Yes Yes Portugal utility model no set term Yes unknown Russia utility model 8 years Yes Yes Sierra Leone utility model unknown Yes probably Slovakia [cite web |url=http://www.indprop.gov.sk/pdf/en/pravo_92478.pdf |title=Slovak Law on Utility Models, No. 478 of 1992 |accessdate=2008-02-16|format=PDF]utility model 10 years Yes Yes Slovenia short term patent 10 years Yes probably South Africa functional design 10 years No No Spain utility model 10 years Yes Yes Taiwan utility model 10-12 years No Yes Tajikistan utility model 9 years Yes probably Tangier Zone utility model 10 years No unknown Tonga utility model 7 years No No Trinidad and Tobago utility certificate 10 years Yes unknown Turkey utility model 10 years Yes Yes Uganda utility certificate 7 years No Yes Ukraine utility model 8 years Yes Yes United Arab Emirates utility model 10 years Yes unknown Uruguay utility model patent 10 years No Yes Uzbekistan utility model 8 years Yes probably Venezuela utility model 10 years No Yes Vietnam utility model 6 years Yes Yes References
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