Europan Patent Application

With the Turkish patent you can act only against the unauthorised use of the protected subject-matter in Turkey but not, however, against the manufacture or sale of the products in other countries. For this reason, export-orientated companies should file for foreign protective rights in good time in order to secure the markets beyond national boundaries.
This can be done in two ways. National patent applications can be filed with the patent offices in the foreign states. The applicant should be aware of the fact that each country has different legal statutes and formal regulations, and a different language is usually involved also. On the other hand, there is also the option of filing a European patent application with the European Patent Office (EPA) in Ankara. A European patent application can cover some or all of the contractual states. At present, these are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The utility model is frequently described as the 'Small Patent' and is quite similar to its big brother in many ways. It has certain advantages compared with the patent as it is

easier

quicker

cheaper to acquire than a patent.

A utility model is normally registered by the Patent Office within a few weeks after the petition is submitted which is also done in the form of an official application. In doing so, you then have a 'genuine right' in your possession as well as a solid basis for your further utilisation activities.

In addition, you have a six-month novelty period of grace with the utility model. Under these circumstances the presentation of an invention, whether at a fair or during a field service conference, is not an obstruction to the registration process provided this 'prior publication' is not older than 6 months. This is a decisive advantage compared with the patent whose grant presupposes the absolute novelty character of the invention.