Utility Model Protection
The utility model protection is a legal protection for the new technical solutions not reaching the level of a patentable invention. By virtue of utility model protection, the owner of the said protection has, as provided for by legislation, the exclusive right to exploit the utility model or to license another person to exploit it. The protection has a term of 10 years, then the utility model becomes part of the public domain.
The utility model protection can be obtained through the granting procedures set out in law before the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office.
In Hungary it is also possible to obtain a valid utility model protection through an international application within the frame of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Foreign applicant has to be represented by authorized representative residing in Hungary in procedures started before the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office. In case of obligatory representation, only attorney or patent attorney is entitled to perform it.
A utility model application filed in Hungary can be transformed into a European patent application within the union priority range of 12 months, if the utility model application meets the requirements of European patent applications.
The granted and published utility model protections can be searched by the IP search tool free of charge.