Novelty
The solution must not have been publicly disclosed before — nowhere in the world and in no form.
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
Patents and utility models
I protect technical solutions and make sure the protection has real market value — from assessing patentability to drafting claims written with an engineer's understanding of the technology.
PLN 0 — initial case assessment. A patent attorney with an engineering background — quality of claims, not just filing a form.
FIG. 01 / PATENTABILITY
Can your solution be protected?
Protection covers a specific technical solution — not a general idea or a scientific discovery. Patentability is determined by three requirements.
An idea is not yet an invention. A mere idea, business concept or scientific discovery is not eligible for protection. What I protect is a specific, technical solution to a problem: a product, a process or a use.
Inventive step
The solution must be non-obvious to a person skilled in the field — something more than a routine improvement.
Industrial applicability
The solution is fit for use — it can be manufactured or applied in any kind of activity.
FIG. 02 / KEY CHOICE
Patent or utility model?
Two different routes for protecting technical solutions. The comparison below sets out the differences — the final choice depends on the nature of the solution and the business goal.
| Patent invention | Utility model „small patent" | |
|---|---|---|
| What it protects | a technical solution — a product, a process or a use | the shape, structure or arrangement of an object of a durable form |
| Protection term | up to 20 years from the filing date | up to 10 years from the filing date |
| Threshold | a higher inventive step is required | lower substantive requirements |
| Procedure | longer, more complex | faster and simpler |
| Typical use | machines, processes, compounds, technologies | tools, structural components, everyday products |
Which to choose? The choice of route depends on the nature of the solution and the business goal. Not every solution is suitable for a utility model — for example, a method or a process can be protected only by a patent. I determine the right route after a technical assessment of the solution.
FIG. 03 / CONFIDENTIALITY AND TIMING OF FILING
Don't disclose before you've secured it
Public disclosure before filing destroys novelty
Even the creator's own publication — an article, a conference presentation, a trade-fair demo or an online post — can strip the solution of its novelty, and with it the possibility of protection. This is one of the most common real-world mistakes. The right moment to file is usually the stage of a finished, tested prototype.
Send a description of the solution (confidentially)FIG. 04 / PROCESS
How the road to protection works
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01
Patentability / prior-art search (from PLN 3,500)
I check the state of the art and assess whether the solution has a chance of protection.
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02
Choosing the route
I determine the form of protection — patent or utility model — matched to the solution and the goal.
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03
Drafting the application
I prepare the description and the claims — the most important, decisive part of the documentation.
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04
Filing and proceedings
I file the application and conduct the proceedings before the UPRP, including responses to office actions.
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05
Decision and maintenance
Once the right is granted, I keep watch over the periodic fees and the maintenance of protection.
The proceedings usually take about 2–5 years, depending on the route and the office's workload.
FIG. 05 / SCOPE OF THE SERVICE
What exactly I do
Full support on the road to protection — from the first assessment to maintaining the right and foreign protection.
Patentability search
Preparing the application documentation
Drafting of patent claims
Representation before the UPRP
Responses to office actions
Oversight of fees and deadlines
Foreign protection (EPO / PCT)
IP protection strategy and portfolio
Why the claims are what decide
The claims are the most important part of the application — they define the real scope of protection. A patent attorney with engineering and scientific knowledge drafts them so that they actually protect the solution, rather than merely pass a formal review. This is where a technical background translates into concrete value for the client.
Ask about a patent searchFIG. 06 / COSTS AND TIME
A rough cost framework
Three main cost items. The exact quote depends on the solution and the chosen protection route.
Consultation (net)
PLN 0–650
PLN 0 — initial assessment. PLN 500 — basic consultation (up to 60 min). PLN 650 — technical-patent consultation (up to 90 min).
Filing — fee (net)
from PLN 5,500
Invention PL — from PLN 6,300. Utility model PL — from PLN 5,500. Preparing the documentation, drafting the claims and filing the application.
Maintenance — official fees (net)
from PLN 250/year
Patent PL — filing PLN 500, years 1–3 PLN 480, subsequent years from PLN 250 to 1,550/year. Utility model PL — filing PLN 500, years 1–3 PLN 250, subsequent periods PLN 300–1,100.
The exact quote follows an assessment of the solution.
FIG. 07 / PROTECTION ABROAD
Protection outside Poland
A patent is a territorial right — it protects only where it has been granted. Three main routes to obtaining protection abroad.
National (country by country)
Separate filings in selected countries — full control over the geographic scope of protection.
European (EPO)
A single set of proceedings before the European Patent Office, validated in selected countries.
International (PCT)
A single international application opening the way to protection in many countries at once. International invention filing — individual quote.
FIG. 08 / WHO IS ENTITLED TO THE RIGHT
Creator, employer or client?
An important issue for companies, R&D teams and universities — who holds the right to the patent when the solution arose in the course of employment or on commission.
Creator
As a rule, the right to the patent belongs to the creator of the solution — provided it did not arise under the circumstances described alongside.
Employer / client
When the solution arose in the course of employment or on commission, the right as a rule belongs to the employer or the client — unless the agreement provides otherwise.
FIG. 09 / VALUE AFTER GRANT
What a patent gives you
A granted patent is not a cost but an asset — a tool for building a market position and company value.
Monopoly on the market
The exclusive right to use the solution commercially within the territory of protection.
Licensing
Granting licences as a source of income without losing the right to the invention.
Sale of rights
A patent is a transferable asset — it can be sold or contributed to a company.
Position in disputes and negotiations
A stronger hand against competitors and investors — in disputes and when raising capital.
After the decision to grant is published, a 6-month period runs for third-party opposition.
FIG. 10 / RELATED SERVICES
What's next in IP protection
Patent searches / FTO
Assessment of the state of the art and freedom to operate before investing in implementation.
See →IP protection strategies
Building and managing a rights portfolio tied to business goals.
See →Industrial designs
Protecting a product's aesthetic form — a complement to technical protection.
See →FIG. 11 / FAQ
Questions about patents and utility models
A patent protects a technical solution (a product, process or use) for up to 20 years and requires a higher inventive step. A utility model — the „small patent" — protects the shape, structure or arrangement of an object of a durable form for up to 10 years, through a simpler and faster procedure.
Public disclosure before filing — including your own — can strip the solution of its novelty and rule out protection. That's why it's worth consulting before you make anything public.
The proceedings usually take about 2–5 years. The cost is made up of, among other things, the consultation, preparing the application and periodic fees that rise with the years of protection. I give an exact quote after assessing the solution.
A mere idea, concept or scientific discovery is not eligible for protection. What is protected is a specific technical solution — a product, process or use — meeting the requirements of novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability.
It's an analysis of the state of the art assessing whether the solution has a chance of protection. It's not formally mandatory, but it significantly reduces the risk of refusal and lets you decide, with full awareness, whether and how to file.
When the solution arose in the course of employment or on commission, the right to the patent as a rule belongs to the employer or the client — unless the agreement provides otherwise.
Don't see your question here? Describe the solution — I'll answer specifically.
Send a description of the solution