Anyone with an original idea or invention who wants to protect it and exploit it commercially can register it legally and prevent others from using it without permission. This is the essence of industrial property law: it turns creative, inventive effort into an exclusive, legally protected property right.
Our firm provides specialized legal advice and handles the entire process of obtaining a patent, as well as the protection of every other industrial property right.
What Industrial Property Law Protects
ΗIndustrial property covers a wide range of a company’s intangible assets:
- Inventions, through the patent
- Industrial designs and models — the external appearance of a product
- Utility Model Certificates — for technical improvements to products
- Know-how and trade secrets — through confidentiality and technology transfer agreements
What Is a Patent?
A patent is the title of protection granted for an invention, giving its holder the exclusive right to exploit it. To be granted, an invention must meet three basic conditions:
- Novelty — it must not form part of the existing state of the art (prior art)
- Inventive step — it must not be obvious to a person skilled in the field
- Industrial applicability — it must be capable of being produced or used in any area of production
The holder of a patent gains the exclusive right to produce, market, and commercially exploit their invention — and to prevent any third party from producing, selling, or using it without consent.
The Patent Registration Process
In Greece, an invention is registered by filing an application with the Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation (OBI). The process demands particular care and technical precision: any gaps or ambiguities in the description and claims can weaken or even invalidate the protection.
Our firm handles:
- the preliminary assessment of the invention and the prior-art (state of the art) search
- drafting and filing the application, with the invention’s description, claims, and drawings
- monitoring the procedure through to grant of the title
- renewals and keeping the protection in force
Protection at European and International Level
Protection is not confined to national borders. Depending on the holder’s commercial strategy, we provide legal support to extend protection through the European Patent and the international PCT application, which allows registration across a large number of countries through a single filing procedure.
Commercial Exploitation and Infringement
Registration is only the first step — the value of an invention emerges through its exploitation. We advise clients on drafting and negotiating licensing and rights-assignment agreements.
In the event of infringement of industrial property rights by third parties, we provide both judicial and out-of-court protection for the holder — pursuing claims for removal of the infringement, an injunction against future infringement, and damages.
Why Work With Us
Protecting an idea requires a combination of legal expertise and an understanding of its commercial dimension. Our firm guides you at every stage — from evaluating the invention through registration to commercial exploitation — so that your idea becomes a genuine asset of your business.