LATEST INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF ENTREPRENEURS FROM GDAŃSK

Entrepreneurs who independently design their products know very well that the key to success is to be the first on the market with an innovative product. In addition to market priority, it is also important to guarantee exclusivity to a specific appearance of the goods, production method or logo that attracts the attention of customers. For this purpose, entrepreneurs apply for trademarks, industrial designs, patents and utility models.

MARKET MONITORING

However, before the entrepreneur invests money in research on a specific technical solution or design services in the design of goods, he should check whether other entrepreneurs on the market have already applied to the Patent Office for protection of such a thing. It is also particularly important to check the market on an ongoing basis after obtaining an exclusive right, as the entrepreneur should react to notifications and registrations that infringe his earlier rights.

WHAT RIGHTS HAS BEEN OBTAINED BY ENTREPRENEURS FROM GDAŃSK?

In the period from February to April, the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland granted a total of 17 exclusive rights to applicants from Gdańsk, including 9 trademarks, 7 inventions and 1 utility model.

The utility model shows a hanging tent which, according to the description, is intended to be hung on a tree. The right was obtained, inter alia, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.

Among those entitled to patents from the period in question, we can find mainly universities – the University of Gdańsk and the Gdańsk University of Technology. Inventions mainly concern the areas of biotechnology and construction chemistry. In the case of patents, applicants were represented by a patent attorney in 6 out of 7 procedures.

Trademark applications and registrations concern designations for goods and services from the dietary and perfumery industries, as well as car-sharing and car parking. In their case, the Applicants more often than in the case of inventions acted without the help of a professional representative, although still as much as 66% decided to use the services of a patent attorney.

HOW TO PREPARE TO REPORT A RIGHT AT THE PATENT OFFICE?

Regardless of whether the subject of protection is a sign, product design or technical solution, there are several basic elements that every entrepreneur should take care of before initiating the administrative procedure aimed at obtaining an exclusive right. Our checklist of the applicant is presented below.

• DEFINING THE OBJECT OF PROTECTION – what do I have, what do I want to protect?
• DEFINING THE TERRITORIAL SCOPE OF PROTECTION – in which countries do I need protection, in which offices do I have to submit a notification?
• MARKET RESEARCH – does anyone already use an identical or similar solution on the market / has an effective right to it in the territory I am interested in?
• POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE SUBJECT OF SECURITY – taking into account the results of market research
• PREPARATION OF DESIGNS, DRAWINGS, DESCRIPTIONS – application documents, depending on the specific industrial property right