The main function of the Patent Department is to prepare and file applications in order to protect inventions and designs, before the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) – patents of invention, utility models and industrial designs –, the European Patent Office (EPO) – European patents – and the Office for the Harmonization of the Internal Market (OHIM) –Community designs–

Advise and guidance on:

Protection of inventions and designs on a national scale

• Types of protection.
• Necessary requirements.
• Grant proceedings of Patents and Utility Models, or any other type of protection, such as Industrial Designs.

Protection of inventions and designs abroad.

• Treaties and Conventions
• Periods, requirements and territorial scope of protection of an Invention through applications for:
• European Patent (Munich Convention)
  • International Patent (PCT- Patent Cooperation Treaty)
  • Patents in the USA, Japan and all over the world
  • Community Design

Handling and Monitoring of applications

On a nationwide scalel

• Drawing up the descriptive report, maps or necessary drawings for the application filing according to the kind of protection sought (Patent, Utility Model, Industrial Design or Topography of semiconductor products).
• Monitoring formal proceedings until their grant (petition for the Search Report, application for continuation of the procedure, choosing either the Grant Procedure with petition for Preliminary Examination or the General Grant Procedure)
• Writing claims to third parties or to the Search Report, in order to defend the novelty and the inventiveness of the application.

On an International scale

European Patents

The system of European Patents allows protection in all the States under the European Patent Convention through their designation in only one application before the European Patent Office (EPO).

• Writing the description of the invention, the claims and the abstract.
• Filing applications and designating the States in which protection is sought.
• Applications for the European Search Report.
• Preparing and filing responses to official actions and appeals before different Boards of Appeal.
• Validations and translations in one of the official languages of the designated States of the original text of the patent.

International Patent (PCT)

The Patent Cooperation Treaty allows protection of an invention in each Contracting State through one application in the first phase (International Phase) and continuing the procedure in every selected State (National Phase).

• Drawing up the description of the invention, the claims and the abstract.
• Filing applications in compliance with the Washington Patent Cooperation Treaty.
• Applications for the International Search and the International Preliminary Examination.
• Monitoring the procedure in its National Phase in each designated State (drawing up technical reports in response to Official Actions…)

Patent in the USA, in Japan and in the rest of the World

It is filed in the country of interest and it is governed by the legislation thereof.

• We handle patent applications in the most prestigious offices in USA and Japan, countries where we contact outstanding associate offices.
• We process applications abroad through our net of co-workers in almost all over world.

Community Design

• Filing applications before the OHIM and monitoring the whole procedure until the total grant of the registrations of drawings and industrial models that extend their protection to the territory of the European Union.