Who is the competent authority for patent applications in the Netherlands?

The novelty grace period is 12 months before the filing date/priority date.

• via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
• EU appearance route: 6 months from the earliest priority date.
• Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.

4 months

Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."

The RVO does not conduct substantive examination of invention patent applications. The applicant must submit a novelty search request at the same time as the application, or within 13 months from the date of application, and will receive a search report containing written opinions on novelty within 9 months from the date of the search request. , at which point the applicant has 2 months to make amendments or file a divisional case. The search results do not affect the granting of the patent.

20 years, and the protection of pesticide or pharmaceutical patents can be extended to 25 years.

1-2 years

The RVO conducts only formality examination of design patent applications.

no

Netherlands Ministry of Commerce

English: Netherlands Patent Office, Abbreviation: RVO

Website: www.rvo.nl/octrooien

Dutch invention patent search: Zoeken in octrooien (rvo.nl)