Hungarian Intellectual Property Office

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 have, 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 become 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 started in Hungary can be turned into a European patent application within union priority range of time (12 months) if the Utility Model application fits to the requirements of the European patent application.

The possibility of searching published utility model documents is open to everybody. By searching such patent and utility model documents the disclosed solutions closest to the utility model may be revealed.