IP rights are territorial and, in general, registrable rights such as patents, trade marks and registered designs require separate filings in each country where protection is desired. If you intend making or selling your work overseas, or if you have a major overseas competitor, you will probably want to consider overseas protection.

There are a number of international treaties and conventions which provide multinational protection via a single application process.

Europe

It is possible to obtain a European Patent covering up to 35 member countries through a single application made at the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich. Similar Europe-wide treaties exist for protecting trade marks and designs.  As European Attorneys, we can act for you directly before the relevant granting bodies.

Beyond Europe

For countries such as the USA and Japan, it is necessary to use the services of local attorneys. We have a network of overseas attorneys who act on our behalf before their own Intellectual Property Offices (IPOs).

International Patent

There is no such thing as an 'International Patent'. There is an application process, known as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) involving the filing of a so-called 'International Patent Application' which provisionally covers most counties of the world. The PCT is really a streamlined application procedure allowing the applicant to delay the decision as to which countries to pursue protection in, and the associated costs, which can be useful if it is not yet clear whether the invention will be commercially valuable.