- via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
- Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.
- EU appearance route: 6 months from the earliest priority date.
Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."
3-5 years
IGE/IPI only conducts formality examination of design patent applications. No novelty review is performed. Applicants may request a 30-month delay in publication.
IGE/IPI conducts formal and substantive examinations of invention patent applications. The applicant does not need to file a separate request for substantive examination. Before commencing the substantive examination, IGE/IPI will send an examination bill, which will indicate the deadline for payment of the prescribed fees. Patents granted in Switzerland are automatically protected in Liechtenstein.
The initial protection is 5 years, which can be renewed 4 times, each time for 5 years, and the maximum protection can be 25 years.
Novelty grace period applies if the invention is disclosed to the public within six months of the filing date or priority date.
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.
- Validation of European Patent in EPO member states: 3 months from the date of European patent grant
no
no
no