For Inventors

A patent is a legal right given to an inventor to prevent others from using his invention in the country the patent was granted. You need to file a patent application in every country you request protection. In order to receive a patent, you must:

• File a patent application in each country (jurisdiction) protection is sought;
• The patent application is examined by the Patent Office in each country (jurisdiction). Typically, the Examiner will issue Office Actions with rejections which the applicant must overcome.
• Only after all the rejections are overcome, the patent will be granted. In some countries, 3rd parties are able to file an Opposition in a predetermined time-frame after Allowance or Grant.

1. When you have developed a new product or application that doesn’t exist yet;
2. When you are seeking an investment for an invention;
3. If the invention has a good economic potential;
4. When you want to commercialize the invention in many countries;
5. If the invention is easy to copy.

1. You don’t need to build the invention in order to file a patent application. You only need to be able to describe in writing how to create it.
2. You will need to file a patent application in every country where you seek protection. For example, a US patent will only protect you in the US, and has no effect in other countries.
3. The patent application will be examined in every country, and only after it is approved the patent is granted. You can only enforce a granted patent against copiers of your invention.
4. You don’t have to file in all the countries from the beginning! In the first year, it is sufficient to file a patent application in only one country. International conventions let you wait one year until you need to take further steps.
5. It is recommended to perform a preliminary search before starting the patent process to see what has been published regarding the invention worldwide.

1. Optionally, carry out a preliminary search. Even if the search doesn’t find that the invention is already know, it will find close references which will help the patent attorney draft a better patent application by showing how the invention is different from what already exists.
2. Select a patent attorney. Ideally, the patent attorney will understand your technology, understand your business and communicate well with you.
3. Prepare a written description of the invention in great detail. Add examples of how to use implement it, and don’t forget to also describe possible variations and alternatives.
4. The patent attorney will draft a patent application and file it.
5. After the application is filed, you will have one year until you need to take further action. Keep in touch with your patent attorney if during this year, you have new and significant developments.

Everybody recognizes brands such as Nike, Apple or Channel. You usually see along them a small notation in the form of ™ or ®, but what does it mean? The ™ or ® identify the name of a product (or service) that are protected by a trademark. The trademark identifies, to the user or buyer, who is behind the product or service. The trademark can be a name, a graphical logo, a combination of text and graphics or any other special mark that identifies the product or service. The trademark registration is done separately in each country.

A registered design protects the external form of a product. The product itself does not need to be new, for example, a registered design can be a chair in a new form. A registered design is granted in Israel for a product whose external form or design were not published in Israel.

A design available on the Internet is considered a design published in Israel. You’ll need to file a design application in every country you seek protection. In Israel, a design is granted for 5 years, and can be renewed for two additional periods of 5 years (15 years in total). In the United States, a design is granted for a straight period of 14 years.