Patent registration in Greece – Any company that owns a patent and plans to expand its business in the Greek market, and create lasting value and find investors for their patent or future patent licensors should use the Greek patent system.
It is of paramount importance for businesses to file a patent application in Greece for inventions, even if the launch of the respective product on the Greek market has not yet commenced.
Deadline for filing a patent application in Greece
Patent applications in Greece require priority to be filed within 12 months of the priority date. It is not possible to restore this deadline.
Request a patent application in Greece
The official language of the Greek patent application is Greek. Applications can be submitted in English, French or German. A translation into Greek must be provided within four months of the date of application.
The following information and documents must be provided in the patent application to the Greek Patent Office:
- the name and address of the patent applicant and the patent agent;
- patent claims;
- patent description, drawings.
A certified copy of the priority application and a certified translation of this document into Greek must be submitted within four months of the date of application.
Power of attorney is not required to be officially legalized or notarized. This document can be submitted within four months of the application date.
Documentation proving the inventor’s rights (deed of assignment) under the Apostille Convention must be provided, in case the applicant is not the inventor, within four months of the filing date.
Examination of patent applications in Greece
The content review process is not regulated in Greece. Within four months of the filing date, the applicant must pay the Greek Patent Office the prescribed filing fees for the first and second years of the patent and search report fees.
In case the filing fee is not paid within 4 months, the patent application is considered to be revoked. If the final search report fee is not paid within the specified period of 4 months, the patent application in Greece will be automatically converted into a utility solution application.
Patent validity and renewal
Patents in Greece are valid for twenty years from the date of filing. There is no specific deadline for the payment of the degree fee – the application will remain pending until the payment of the degree fee. The patent holder will be required to pay the annual maintenance fee until the last day of the month corresponding to the filing date.
Represented by a patent attorney
International applicants should do a patent search in Greece through a law firm, an experienced patent attorney.
You can find the list of Greece IP Firms here.