知产慧学堂丨德国发明专利申请

德国专利商标局（即DPMA），DPMA是欧洲最大的国家专利和商标局，也是全球第五大专利局。作为上级联邦机构，隶属于联邦司法和消费者保护部，总部位于慕尼黑。德国专利商标局负责德国发明专利授权和管理专利，在慕尼黑、耶拿和柏林设有办公室。

官方语言：德语。

• 申请人的英文名称/姓名和英文地址
• 发明人的英文姓名和地址；申请人和发明人不一致时，请注明权利是如何从发明人转移到申请人的（职务发明、继承或根据合同）
• 申请文件的德文翻译
• 要求优先权时，自优先权日起16个月内需要提交专利在先申请的时间、国家、案号，以及优先权证明文件
• 申请书、说明书、权利请求书、摘要，以及附图（非必须）
  

注：1.直接申请时，申请文件可以用任意语言递交。法语和英语申请需在12个月内提交德语翻译版本，包括中文在内的其他语言申请需在3个月内提交德语翻译版本，否则申请会被视为撤回。

2.在德国没有住所、经营地、分公司的申请人，其在德国专利商标局或联邦专利法院前涉及德国发明专利的程序必须由德国专利律师或德国律师代理。

1.提交申请：申请人直接或委托代理机构向德国专利商标局提交发明专利电子申请文件或纸件申请文件；

2.受理：德国专利商标局接收到发明专利申请文件后，确认申请文件齐全、合格的会给予申请号和申请日。一般在2-5个月内就能完成，并有官方回执单；

3.初步审查：审查员根据实施的检索和实质审查，将撰写审查意见通知书，对申请中存在的问题以及缺陷予以披露，根据申请人的回应决定后续程序的进行。如果不合格，例如资料欠缺有缺陷等，在收到意见通知书后，申请人需要把手续补齐上交;审查结果合格的话，申请将公开；

4.专利公开：专利申请会于申请日(优先权日)起18个月满后公开;如果专利申请包含明显违反公共秩序或道德的信息或图纸，德国专利商标局可以不公布专利申请；

5.实质审查：德国专利商标局主要围绕申请是否具有新颖性、创造性、单一性，以及申请文件对发明的披露是否清楚等来进行审查。针对德国专利商标局的审查意见，申请人可以对审查意见进行评论并对申请文件进行相应修改；

6.授权登记及公告：授权公告后的9个月内任何人都可以提出异议，如果无人提出异议，那么发明将受到专利保护。

注：a.专利程序平均在2.5至3年后完成，条件是在申请日或优先权申请日的前四个月内提出审查请求，并支付审查费，并且没有请求审查延长期限。

b.在德国专利申请成功后，专利保护期限，自申请日起计算，最长为20年，从申请日第3年起，每年都需要缴纳年费。

c.自发明专利申请之日起7年内提交实质审查请求。但是为了维持专利申请的有效性，专利申请人必须从专利的第3年开始支付年费。

德国发明专利费用如下：

制图：德同智汇

注：现在欧元与人民币的汇率为1欧元:7.59人民币，如欧盟外观设计申请官费为230英镑，人民币约为1744.96元。

德国专利商标局与中国国家知识产权局之间的PPH试点项目开通于2012年1月23日，初期为期两年。在数次延长之后，中德PPH项目自2021年1月起又一次延长三年，至2024年1月22日结束。在PPH试点项目框架内， 应申请人的请求，已被首次申请受理局（OFF）认定为可授权的专利申请可以在后续申请受理局（OSF）进入简易程序，获得加快审查。

申请人必须用德语向德国专利商标局提出PPH的加快审查请求。德国专利商标局现在为所有PPH合作专利局提供了统一的申请表格。申请人需要填写该申请表格，并提交相关文件。

在德国专利商标局尚未开始对申请进行审查之前，申请人可以向德国专利商标局提出PPH加快审查请求，但需满足：

• 申请的专利至少有一项或多项由在先审查局认定为可授权的权利要求；
• 请求进入PPH加快审查程序的德国申请中的所有权利要求必须与由在先审查局认定为可授权的一项或多项权利要求充分对应。德国专利商标局将基于合作局的工作结果独立进行检索和审查。

此外，德国专利商标局于2015年7月6日加入全球专利审查高速公路（简称GPPH），目前包括德国专利商标局在内共有27个专利局加入GPPH项目。在GPPH试点项目框架内，应申请人的请求，若申请人的专利的权利要求已经在参与此项目的某一国家或地区的专利机构被认为具有可专利性，那么可以要求作为后续申请受理局的德国专利商标局进入简易程序，获得加快审查。但是中国目前尚未加入GPPH，因此中德双方目前只能基于双边PPH项目。

根据德国民事诉讼法第935条，临时禁令程序可以用来防止因为事态改变而造成一方当事人的权利无法得到执行或其权利的执行受到实质性的妨碍。根据禁令申请人提出的申请，法院可以在对争议事项通过主程序进行全面审理之前，做出保护禁令申请人相关知识产权权利的临时措施。通过临时禁令，既可以要求侵权一方停止侵权，也可以在满足相关法律规定的条件下要求侵权一方如实交代侵权物品的来源和销售渠道。

禁令申请人经常只需要向法院证明侵权行为很有可能发生或正在发生、申请事由紧急迫切，法院就时常可以甚至无须听证，便立刻发布临时禁令。因此，对于中国企业来说，很有必要了解竞争对手申请的临时禁令得到法院确认的条件。

德国法院在决定是否发布临时禁令时，一方面需要考虑禁令申请人快速执行相关知识产权权利的利益，另一方面需要考虑禁令被申请人不被卷入事后证明为是由实际无效的知识产权引起的纠纷的利益。因此，德国法院在发布临时禁令时需要权衡考虑禁令申请人和禁令被申请人的这两种利益。

一般来讲，临时禁令的发布需符合以下条件：

• 禁令申请人获得临时禁令应具备“紧迫性”；
• 禁令申请人在德国有合法有效的知识产权；
• 侵权案情清楚、显而易见。

原则上，在提出临时禁令申请时，发明专利的有效性只有在此发明专利经过异议程序或无效程序一审的肯定确认后才能被认为足够。不过，也有一些例外。比如反对涉案发明专利有效性的抗辩经过综合检验后被证明是明显没有根据的和存在非常不寻常的情况，以致无法接受等待异议或无效程序的结果而使侵权行为继续所造成的弊端。

禁令被申请人提出抗辩时，仅仅指出发明专利的异议或无效原因是不够的，而必须最迟在禁令程序最后一次口审结束前在专利局正式提起异议程序、或在联邦专利法院正式提起无效诉讼。德国发明专利在授权公告后的三个月内任何人都可以向德国专利商标局提起异议程序。在提起异议的期限已过、并且不存在还在进行中的异议程序的情况下，任何人都可以向位于慕尼黑的联邦专利法院就德国发明专利提出无效诉讼。异议程序或无效程序中攻击发明专利的原因比如可以是发明专利不满足新颖性或创造性的要求等。

如果禁令被申请人知晓临时禁令申请的时间和口审时间相隔很近、以致来不及正式提起异议或无效程序，则必须可以毫无疑义地预知，异议或无效程序会适时被正式提起。

The German patent and trademark office (DPMA), DPMA is the largest country in the European patent and trademark office, is also the world's fifth-largest Patent Office As the higher federal agencies, belonging to the federal judiciary and consumer protection department, based in Munich The German patent and trademark office is responsible for the German patent invention patent authorization and management, has offices in jena in Munich and Berlin.

Official language: German

• Name and Address in English
• The English name and address of the inventor; In case of inconsistency between applicant and inventor, please indicate how rights are transferred from inventor to applicant (service invention inheritance or under contract).
• German translation of application documents
• To claim the right of priority, the time and country case number of the prior patent application shall be submitted within 16 months from the priority date, as well as the priority proof documents
• Description of Application Summary of Claim with drawings (optional)

Note: a. For direct application, application documents can be submitted in any language. Applications in French and English must be submitted within 12 months with German translations, and applications in other languages, including Chinese, must be submitted within 3 months, otherwise the application will be considered withdrawn.

b. Applicants who have no residence, place of business or branch in Germany must be represented by German patent lawyers or German lawyers in the proceedings concerning German invention patents before the German Patent and Trademark Office or the Federal Patent Court.

1. Application submission:The applicant directly or entrust an agency to submit electronic application documents or paper application documents for invention patent to the German Patent and Trademark Office;

2. Acceptance: After receiving the invention patent application documents, the German Patent and Trademark Office will give the application number and application date if the application documents are complete and qualified. It usually takes 2-5 months to complete with an official receipt；

3. Preliminary review:Based on the retrieval and substantive review, the examiner will write a notice of review opinion, disclose the problems and defects in the application, and decide the follow-up procedure according to the response of the applicant. If the applicant is not qualified, such as lack of information, etc., after receiving the notice of advice, the applicant needs to complete the procedures submitted; If qualified, the application will be made public;

4. Patent disclosure:Patent applications will be made public 18 months after the filing date (priority date); The German Patent and Trademark Office may not publish a patent application if it contains information or drawings that clearly violate public order or morality；

5. Substantive examination: The German Patent and Trademark Office mainly reviews whether the application is novel, creative and single, and whether the disclosure of the invention in the application documents is clear. The applicant may comment on the review opinions of the German Patent and Trademark Office and modify the application documents accordingly；

6. Registration and Announcement of license: Any person may file an objection within 9 months after the announcement of license. If no objection is filed, the invention will be protected by patent.

Note:a. Patent proceedings are completed on average after 2.5 to 3 years, provided that the request for review is made within four months of the filing or priority filing date, the review fee is paid, and that no extension of the review period is requested.

b. After the successful patent application in Germany, the patent protection period shall be calculated from the date of application, and the longest period shall be 20 years. From the third year of the application date, an annual fee shall be paid every year.

c. Submit a request for substantive examination within seven years from the date of application for a patent for invention. But in order to maintain the validity of the patent application, the patent applicant must pay an annual fee starting in the third year of the patent.

German invention patent fees are as follows:

Made：DETONG UNIMORAL

Note: Now the exchange rate between Euro and RMB is 1 euro :7.59 RMB, for example, the official fee of EU design application is 230 pounds, RMB is about 1744.96 RMB.

The PPH pilot project between the German Patent and Trademark Office and the State Intellectual Property Office of China was launched on January 23, 2012 for an initial period of two years. After several extensions, the China-Germany PPH project has been extended for another three years from January 2021 until January 22, 2024. Under the PPH pilot program, patent applications that have been deemed licensable by the First Application Receiving Office (OFF) at the applicant's request can be expedited through a summary process at the Subsequent Application Receiving Office (OSF).

Applicants must submit PPH's request for expedited review to the German Patent and Trademark Office in German. The German Patent and Trademark Office now provides a uniform application form for all PPH partner patent offices. Applicants are required to complete this application form and submit relevant documents.

Before the German Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) begins the examination of the application, the applicant may request PPH to expedite the examination, provided that:

• the applied patent has at least one or more claims that the Prior Examination Office has determined to be licensable;
• All claims in German applications simultaneously requesting access to PPH's expedited review process must correspond fully to one or more claims that the Prior Review Office has determined to be authorizable. The German Patent and Trademark Office will search and review independently based on the results of the cooperation bureau's work.

In addition, the German Patent and Trademark Office joined the Global Patent Examination Highway (GPPH) on July 6, 2015, and now there are 27 patent offices, including the German Patent and Trademark Office, participating in the GPPH program. Within the framework of the GPPH pilot project, at the request of the applicant, if the patent claims of the applicant have been considered patentable in the Patent Office of a country or region participating in the project, the German Patent and Trademark Office, as the receiving office of the subsequent application, can be requested to enter into a simple procedure to obtain accelerated examination. However, China has not yet joined the GPPH, so China and Germany can only rely on bilateral PPH projects at present.

According to Article 935 of the German Code of Civil Procedure, the interim injunction procedure can be used to prevent a party from being unable to enforce its rights or from being materially impeded by a change of events. According to the application filed by the injunctive applicant, the court may take interim measures to protect the intellectual property rights related to the injunctive applicant pending a full hearing of the disputed matter through the main procedure. Through the temporary injunction, the infringing party can not only be required to stop the infringement, but also be required to tell the source and sales channel of the infringing goods truthfully under the conditions of the relevant laws.

Injunctive applicants often only need to prove to the court that an infringement is likely to have occurred or is occurring, and that the cause of the application is urgent, and the court can often issue a temporary injunction immediately, even without a hearing. Therefore, it is important for Chinese companies to understand the conditions under which a competitor's application for a temporary injunction can be confirmed by the court.

When deciding whether to issue a temporary injunction, the German court needs to take into account, on the one hand, the interests of the applicant for the injunction to quickly enforce the relevant INTELLECTUAL property rights, and on the other hand, the interests of the respondent of the injunction not to be involved in disputes later proved to be caused by the intellectual property rights that are actually invalid. Therefore, German courts need to weigh the interests of both the applicant and the respondent of the injunction when issuing a temporary injunction.

Generally speaking, the issuance of an injunction must meet the following conditions:

• the applicant for the injunction should have "urgency" to obtain the injunction;
• The applicant for the injunction has legal and valid intellectual property rights in Germany;
• The case of infringement is clear and obvious.

In principle, at the time of filing the application for provisional injunction, the validity of the invention patent can be considered sufficient only after the invention patent has been positively confirmed by the objection procedure or the invalidation procedure in the first instance. However, there are some exceptions. For example, the defense against the validity of the patent for the invention involved is proved to be obviously groundless and there are very unusual circumstances after comprehensive examination, so that the disadvantages caused by waiting for the result of the objection or invalid procedure to continue the infringement cannot be accepted.

When the injunctive respondent defends, it is not enough to merely point out the reason for the objection or invalidity of the invention patent. Instead, it must file a formal objection proceeding in the Patent Office or an injunctive proceeding in the federal patent Court before the end of the last oral hearing of the injunctive proceeding. German invention patent in the authorization of the announcement after three months anyone can file an objection to the German patent and Trademark Office procedures. Where the time limit for filing an objection has expired and there is no ongoing objection procedure, any person may file an invalidation suit against a German invention patent at the Federal Patent Court in Munich. The reason why an invention patent is attacked in an objection proceeding or invalidation proceeding can be that the invention patent does not satisfy the requirement of novelty or inventiveness.

If the respondent of the injunction knows that the time between the application for an interim injunction and the time of the oral hearing is so close that there is no time for formal filing of the objection or invalidation proceedings, it must be foreseeable beyond reasonable doubt that the objection or invalidation proceedings will be formally filed in due course.