Patent law protects inventions and gives the inventor the right to exclusively use, licence and market his invention. Patents are the reward and incentive for research and development on all fields of technology, and enable the protection of technological innovations. Patents express innovation and secure market shares. It is not until the filing of a patent application that gives the inventor a patent protection, allowing him to stand up against infringement of his patent.
Patents for inventions are granted for new inventions susceptible of industrial application. What can be derived in an obvious way from the state of the art is not a patentable invention. Thus, for the protection of an invention, the basic requirements of novelty, inventiveness and susceptibility to industrial application must be fulfilled. National or international (PCT, EPC) patent applications are filed at the relevant authorities, e.g. the Swiss Intellectual Property Institute (IGE) or the European Patent Office (EPO).
This website contains fundamental information regarding patents and patent law, mainly concerning Swiss and European Patents. The information provided introduces patent law to inventors and other interested persons and gives answers to frequently asked questions regarding patent law.
Rentsch Partner Ltd. will be glad to support you with regard to legal, technical and strategic questions, i.e. patent application and registering of patents, infringement of patents, licensing of patents or services like prior art search or management of patent portfolios.