The fundamental protection of technological innovations

A patent is granted to an applicant for an invention that is new, presents an inventive step and is industrially applicable. The duration of a patent is 20 years, beginning the date following that of the application, provided that annuities are paid each year, after the third year.

The annuities must be paid until the last day of the month corresponding to the month that the application was filed, or can be paid with a fine for a grace period of six months after the due date.

Following the filing, the Greek Patent Office conducts a formalities examination and an extensive search on the state of the art data follows. A search report is drafted and is notified to the applicant, allowing him to comment on it within three months time. The patent is then granted and the final search report is attached to the Letters Patent document.

Greece is a member of the European Patent Convention and can be designated as such when filing for a European Patent. Any issued European Patent is valid in Greece, provided that the patentee will file Greek translation of the patent to the Greek Patent Office, within an inextensible period of three months from the date of publication of the mention to grant In the Official Gazette of the EPO.

Since only a European Patent can be obtained via the PCT route, one cannot proceed directly via a PCT application to its validation in Greece. Therefore the European Patent Office acts as a designated office for Greece and the relevant time limit for entering the regional phase is 31 months.

Our staff will handle any national and international patent cases for individuals and companies, ensuring the protection of the respective rights. Our extensive knowledge on the field of Intellectual Property will allow us to provide you with the most accurate and up to date information regarding any relevant developments in Greece and globally.