Patent registration in Hungary. Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Hungary is a middle power in international affairs, owing mostly to its cultural and economic influence. It is considered a developed country with a high-income economy and ranks 40th on the Human Development Index, with citizens enjoying universal health care and free-tuition secondary education. Hungary has a long history of significant contributions to arts, music, literature, sports, science, and technology. It is the thirteenth-most popular tourist destination in Europe and it is also a member of numerous international organizations. Accordingly, many businesses want to enter this market and one of the most important preparations a business needs to take before expanding to this country is to learn the procedure of patent registration in Hungary.
Necessary documents for patent registration in Hungary
The necessary documents for patent registration in Hungary include:
- The request to grant a patent (patent application);
- Detailed information on the applicant(s) including the applicant’s and inventor’s names, addresses, citizenships, etc.;
- A description of the invention;
- A signed and stamped power of attorney by the applicant(s);
- A copy of the amendments (if any);
- Priority documents (if any).
- Other required documents.
The application’s language is Hungarian.
Nonetheless, the applicant may file their patent application in any language provided that they submit a translation of those documents within 4 months from the filing date.
The filing and search fee has to be paid within 2 months of filing.
The procedure for patent registration in Hungary
To obtain a patent in Hungary, the applicant needs to file their patent application to the Hungary IP Office (HIPO).
If there are no errors in the formality of the application, it will be published officially in the Gazette of Patents and Trademarks.
After publication, the applicant will need to file a request for a substantive examination.
The HIPO will carry out the examination at the request of the applicant to check if the invention is qualified for the granting of the patent.
The substantive examination may be requested simultaneously with the filing of the patent application or within 6 months at the latest after the date of the official notification on the performance of the novelty search.
The request for substantive examination is subject to the payment of a fee.
Granting of the patent
If the patent application passes the formality and substantive examinations, the patent will be granted to the applicant.
However, before the granting, the applicant needs to check and declare within 3 months if he/she approves the description, the claims, and drawings forming the basis of the grant transmitted by HIPO.
After the grant of the patent, HIPO issues a patent certificate to the patentee.
In Hungary, a patent’s validity period is 20 years from the filing date.
To maintain this validity period, the patentee needs to pay an annuity fee each year starting from the first year, even if the patent has not been granted yet.
In addition, the maintenance fee for the 1st and 2nd years needs to be paid together after publication.
You can see a list of Hungary IP Firms here.