“Idea protection check“ (“IP Scan”): How-to protect an idea in Germany? By which intellectual property right (IP right) can I protect my idea in Germany?
Our “idea protection check” (“IP Scan” / automatic quick IP pre-diagnostic audit) should give you an orientation on how to best protect your idea or invention in Germany, in order to use it and, for example, to grant licenses. After just a few clicks, you will receive a free initial assessment which intellectual property rights (IP rights) are possible. This evaluation includes e.g. patent protection, utility model protection, trademark protection, design protection and copyright protection. Our offer is intended to provide an automated digital, free and non-binding initial assessment of the protectability or corresponding protection possibilities of your idea. However, it does not replace legal advice in individual cases, which can be ordered separately.
Optional: Detailed examination by specialized lawyer
Important:
You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”. Nowadays, many applications for intellectual property rights concern further developments or improvements of existing offers. For an inventor it is thus all the more important to find out and have examined which protection options are available for the respective idea.
Attention – “novelty”:
For most intellectual property rights there is a novelty requirement, which means, they have to be “new“. It is necessary, that the idea has not been published before and ideally also has not been communicated to anyone outside the company by the inventor himself. For some IP rights, there is a grace period. However, in case of patents the requirements are particularly strict, so that the principle of “first apply, then publish” (or have protection possibilities examined beforehand) applies. Often the time factor or a quick reaction are decisive in order to get ahead of third parties and to secure the IP right. If the invention is actually to be discussed with others before filing an application, it is at least advisable to conclude a non-disclosure agreement.
Disclaimer on the “idea protection check”:
This online information – as an automatic and non-binding evaluation – can give you an initial overview of intellectual property (IP) rights that may come into consideration, but does not claim to be complete or correct. It cannot replace a detailed examination of the individual case, taking into account the respective circumstances, as well as legal advice from a specialist (e.g. Patent Attorney / Patent Lawyer or Certified IP Lawyer / Specialist Attorney for industrial property protection), as there are often no conclusive statements in this area. For a legal evaluation of your specific request, we recommend our detailed examination, in which a specialized attorney will deal with your individual request.