FAQ

Anyone is free to file their own patent, trademark or design application at the competent Office, without any need to be represented by a consultant. However, the assistance of an experienced professional ensures greater experience and a strategic advantage in planning the protection of your rights.

Yes! It is possible to transfer the ownership of patents, trademarks and designs following an assignment or a merger/demerger and it is absolutely advisable to record as soon as possible any variation regarding industrial property titles in the appropriate registers.

Industrial Property rights are company assets that should be included in the balance sheet just like all other company properties. It is possible to ask the Industrial Property Consultant for the preparation of expert reports aimed at obtaining an objective and realistic economic valuation.

No, there is no single patent that can protect your invention throughout the world. However, it is possible to file and obtain respective patents in practically every country in the world.

The issue is not so much the cost, but whether it is actually worthwhile to proceed with patent protection worldwide. Relying on a patent consultant also allows you to receive assistance in the strategy for protecting your invention.

Public patent databases are available online and accessible to everyone, through which it is possible to search for patents published in numerous countries around the world.

A patent, if well written and studied, generally guarantees broader protection compared to the specific embodiment devised by the inventor and also includes the numerous variants that fall within the general idea of the invention.

Yes, to file and obtain a patent it is not necessary for a physical specimen of the object to exist. In general, a preliminary design is sufficient which must include all the characteristics and information necessary to understand the invention clearly and exhaustively.

The surveillance service serves to constantly monitor new filings made in the trademark registers of interest, so as to be promptly informed about situations worthy of attention.

Before filing a trademark, it is always advisable to carry out checks in the trademark registers to ensure that there are no prior rights similar to the sign you wish to register as a trademark.

From the moment all data is provided to us, the trademark application is filed within 1-2 working days. In the absence of objections, registration times vary from 4 to 8 months.

No, there is no 'worldwide' trademark. Instead, it is possible to file a trademark in the European Union or file in various foreign countries through the international system.

The shape of an object can be protected by a patent where it performs a technical function. Otherwise, the external appearance of an object can be protected through a Design. Sometimes both protections can coexist.

An Italian or European design application undergoes a purely formal examination. For this reason, registration is granted, especially at European level, after a few days.

Based on the appearance of the object to be protected, it is appropriate to provide images that allow the immediate and clear identification of the features to be protected.

Certainly. Ornaments, understood not only as elements physically affixed to an object, but also as a set of lines and colours intended to decorate the surface of an object, are protectable independently of the object itself.