If you ask yourself how to patent an idea and how to get a patent in Germany / Europe, Dr. Markus Lichtnecker (German and European Patent Attorney / Patent Lawyer) is happy to help you. Simply send an email with your inquiry to patent@lichtnecker.com or use our further contact information to get in touch with our German IP Law Firm. We are assisting clients of different sizes and from various countries in IP matters like Patent Law, Trademark Law, Design Law, Unfair Competition Law, Internet Law, Social Media Law etc. in Germany and further countries, and are charging flat fees for standardized proceedings.

Please note that according to German Patent Law, a mere idea or business concept (like selling burgers in a fast food restaurant) cannot be protected by a patent. However, through industrial property rights (IP rights) like patents, trademarks, designs, etc. – or through their combination – at least specific aspects of an idea can be protected. Especially a trademark registration (e.g. a German trademark or a Union trade mark / “EU-trademark”) is often recommendable.

In general, patents in Germany can be granted for any inventions, in all fields of technology, provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are conveyable to industrial application.

If you want to obtain a patent registration (to protect your technical idea) in Germany or Europe, you first have to file a patent application with the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO) in Munich or the European Patent Office (EPO). To get the best protection of a technical idea, it is advisable to engage a patent professional (e.g. patent attorney, lawyer for patent law) to draft the application. After filing the patent, the content is examined by the Patent Office and the requirements are validated. In particular, the novelty requirement is often the subject of an objection by the Patent Office.

Feel free to contact us if you wish to file a patent in Germany or Europe (at the European Patent Office) or if you are interested in other IP rights like trademarks, utiltiy models or designs.