Patent & design protection

A patent concerns a technical invention; a registered design concerns the appearance of a product. Protection depends on the relevant legal requirements and the filing. The same product may justify both routes, alongside trademarks, copyright or protection of confidential know-how.

Technical searches, claim drafting and prosecution should be handled by a suitably qualified patent attorney. We coordinate that work with the legal questions around inventors, ownership, confidentiality, collaborations and commercialization. The engagement identifies which adviser is responsible for each part.

The route depends on target markets, budget, timing and the invention. European and PCT procedures can support a broader filing strategy, but a PCT application does not produce a worldwide patent. A patent attorney can compare the routes and the later national or regional steps required.

For employees, duties, the circumstances of creation and the contract matter; Swiss law distinguishes inventions made in fulfillment of contractual obligations from other situations. Contractor and collaboration arrangements need separate review. We check the chain of rights and any necessary assignments before filing or licensing.

Under the national procedure in force in October 2026, these criteria are not examined during the ordinary substantive examination. A reform takes effect on January 1, 2027, introducing a mandatory prior-art search and optional full examination. We coordinate review of the applicable procedure and transitional rules with the patent attorney.

Potential eligibility needs a separate tax review of the right, income, research expenditure and applicable conditions. A granted patent alone does not establish the available benefit. Filing and portfolio decisions should still be supported by the business’s protection and commercialization needs.

The appearance, novelty and individual character require review, together with ownership and prior disclosures. The representations submitted define what is shown for protection, so image selection is important. Registration does not mean every substantive requirement has been conclusively tested against all earlier designs.

Public disclosure can jeopardize protection. Some regimes offer limited grace periods, but those should not be assumed to apply in every target market or to every right. Before a launch, demonstration, publication or investor disclosure, coordinate the filing strategy and appropriate confidentiality arrangements.

An ordinary patent can last up to twenty years, subject to the applicable requirements and maintenance fees. Swiss registered design protection starts with a five-year period and can be renewed up to a total of twenty-five years. The portfolio needs a reliable renewal and payment process.

Consider the product’s expected life, the ease of copying, likely markets and the practical value of enforcement or licensing. Patent publication also discloses technical information. We help frame the commercial decision and coordinate technical advice, including whether some know-how is better managed as confidential information.

We help organize ownership, confidentiality, development agreements and the legal work around a filing program. We coordinate with patent attorneys and other specialists for technical assessment, prosecution and territory-specific work. Licensing, transfers and transaction reviews can follow under an agreed scope.

Bring a non-public description of the product, the inventors or designers, relevant contracts, previous filings and the intended launch markets. Tell us about every disclosure and upcoming deadline. A secure way to share sensitive technical materials can be agreed before detailed documents are exchanged.