Utility model protection for chemical inventions
In most cases an inventor seeking protection in Germany for an invention in the chemical or pharmaceutical field has the choice between a patent application and a utility model. For an efficient protection it may make sense to file a patent application and a parallel utility model for the same invention. The possibility to branch off a utility model from an earlier patent application within 10 years after the filing date allows a flexible response to facts that become known only after the filing of the patent application. Branching off a utility model is a sharp sword that allows rapid and effective action against an infringer.
