Patent registration in Poland – Any company that owns a patent and plans to expand its business in the Polish market or create lasting value as well as find investors for their patent or grant license their patents in the future should use the Polish patent system. It is of paramount importance for businesses to file a patent application in Poland for inventions, even if the launch of the respective product on the Polish market has not yet commenced.
Deadline for filing a patent application in Poland
Patent applications requesting ordinary priority must be filed within 12 months of the priority date. Restoring this deadline is not possible.
Request a patent application in Poland
The official language of Polish patent applications is Polish. Applications can be filed in any language and a translation into Polish must be submitted at the request of the Patent Office within the time limit specified by the Patent Office.
The following information and documents must be provided in the Polish patent application:
- patent request with the name of the invention and applicant information;
- proof of payment of the application fee.
- invention description
- patent claim, abstract, name of the invention, and drawings if required
Priority documentation must be provided within three months of filing a patent application in Poland. If the preferred document is not written in English, French, German, or Russian, a certified translation of the document must accompany the document.
Formal legalization of power of attorney (POA) is not required. POA can be submitted within two months from the date of application. If the applicant is a legal person, it is necessary to provide the Polish Patent Office with a quote from the Commercial Registry certifying that the signer of the POA is duly authorized to file the patent application on behalf of the company.
Examination of patent applications in Poland
Substantive examination of Polish patent applications is started automatically.
The renewal period for novelty in Poland lasts six months before the date of application, provided that the disclosure is adverse and made by a third party. Previously, the renewal period for novelty was not specified for patent applications in Polish IP law.
Patent validity and renewal
Patents are valid for 20 years from the date of filing in Poland. The official fee for the grant and publication of the patent as well as the annual maintenance fee starting from the first year must be paid within 3 months of the issuance of the Notice of Grant. Subsequent annual maintenance fees are payable prior to the annual filing date. Late payment is possible up to 6 months after the due date subject to a 30% surcharge.
Represented by a patent attorney
An international applicant for a patent in Poland should conduct a patent search in Poland through a law firm, or an experienced patent attorney.
You can find the list of Poland IP firms here.